Are you currently a member of ITEA?

[bisontuba]

HI-
I am just wondering how many folks on TubeNet are currently members of ITEA? Just curious.

Thanks-
mark

PS---Yes, my mistake , it IS ITEA, NOT ITEC--sorry 'bout that!

[Doug Elliott]

Life member, from a lotta years ago.

[ParLawGod]

I was a member a few years back...that is, until they stopped sending me renewal information. Not sure why, but all of sudden communication stopped. I've been meaning to get around to sending in dues again, but just haven't gotten around to it yet...

[Wyvern]

I was a member for several years, but let it lapse a couple years back because;

1. They changed the name from TUBA to ITEA which I did not approve.
2. I found the magazines contained less and less of interest to me and with multiple languages seemed to contain less articles although thicker (I still have all my old magazines).
3. Living in the UK I cannot participate in live events lessening membership value.
4. I find TubeNet far more useful and stimulating.
5. Wanting to make economies when I became self employed with less income dropped a number of membership subscriptions.

I would not rule out rejoining in the future, particularly if ITEC (I thought it was ITEA?) ever decide to hold event in the UK.

[UDELBR]

Back in the pre-internet days, the Journal had some value: there was no other way to get tuba-related info. Even then though, the Journal was the only obvious reason to join.

[David Zerkel]

I just wrote an epic novel explaining why ITEA is a worthwhile endeavor to anyone who is enthusiastic about the tuba and/or euphonium, but evidently I timed out and the novel was lost. I will plan on reconstructing it later today and posting it again.

The short answer for me though is YES, I am a member of ITEA. I am a member because the mission of the organization is one that I believe in: To promote the tuba and and euphonium and to work toward advancing the artistic cause of our instruments. The people on the Board of Directors (some of the brightest and most thoughtful people that I've had the pleasure to be associated with in my professional career) have only these interests at heart and are thinking of how to serve the members of the organization in the best way possible.

While in the past, the Journal may have been the most compelling reason to join, I believe the area in which we have made the greatest strides recently has been our conferences, both regional and international. These events, which are sponsored by ITEA and hosted by ITEA members, give each of us an opportunity to hear state of the art playing, hear new and exciting repertoire, test equipment that we might not otherwise have have access to, and to hang out with some of the nicest musicians you will ever meet. ITEA's development and continuing support of these events have provided opportunities for hundreds of students to compete, and in doing so providing them with a tangible target for improvement.

The ITEA Journal has always been a valuable resource. Most recently, Jason Smith has done an excellent job of assembling an attractive and compelling resource. Very soon, Ben Pierce will assume the position of Journal Editor, allowing Jason to devote his energies to a redesign of the ITEA website. We will continue to strive to keep up with the changing times and to provide our services in the most relevant way possible!

As a non-profit organization, our membership dollars go entirely toward providing more services and resources to our members. As we are all acutely aware during these tight financial times, the fewer financial resources there are, the less organizations can do. As we find ourselves in these most recent times arguing for the relevance of the arts in today's bottom-line driven society, writing a check to support a cause in which I am totally vested is not an obligation, but a pleasure.

I am proud to be a member of ITEA and will continue to be a member as long as I am able. I hope you will consider joining, or re-joining! http://www.iteaonline.org/2008/communit ... inITEA.php

Best regards,
David Zerkel
President, ITEA

[SousaSaver]

I am a long time member of ITEA.

Despite it's many worts and imperfection, it's still a great organization. Several sets of leadership of the organization have heard from me (whether they liked it or not) many suggestions for improvement and "red flag" warnings. To their credit, most have been willing to listen and were truly invested in making positive changes.

Some really fine folks are, and have been, involved in making the ITEA a viable organization.

I would encourage all tuba and euph folk to join and support the ITEA.

If you don't agree with something they do or espouse, get involved and push for positive change.

Of course, you're right, LJV.

I've not renewed my membership since they changed the name from T.U.B.A. - apparently because the name wasn't deemed "dignified" enough to place on an academic résumé. I should rethink that.

I have let my NAPBIRT membership lapse for about 2 years now. Depending on whom I ask I get different answers on whether or not I should renew the thing. Some people say "it's great you should do it!" An equal number of people say "________ those guys!" Really, no joke.

[bill]

I am a Life Memeber of ITEA. I, too, was a bit miffed at the name change but I had been a life member much before that so it is one of the things you roll with for the sake of unity. I was not impressed by the then president's rallying cry: "I Need This!" But, on we go.

I have written for the Journal and enjoy a great deal of what is written every month. If I had a critique of the writing, it is the "academiceese" used in most presentations. I think this is understandable because of the dominat positions held by the leaders but I think it is not necessary nor especailly good journalism or communication.

Even given that, when I need to get as nearly a definitive answer to a recondite question as I can, this is the first place I look. If the answer is not there, the Journal will often suggest a person who might be a resource for the answer. And, then, once in a while, someone writes from the heart and you find a new understanding of the writer and the subject. In the current Journal, Jim Self's remembrance of his time with Harvey Phillips is such a piece. It made the entire issue worthwhile, in itself, never mind the other solid information the current issue contains.

[Mark]

I've not renewed my membership since they changed the name from T.U.B.A.

The name change did not bother me. The way the name was changed did. There was a vote of the membership (which, at the time, included me) and the vote tally was never released to the membership. We were only told the that the vote was for the name change. I would still like to know what the actual vote totals were.

[BVD Press]

And how many people on TubeNet are asking what is T.U.B.A.? Or more to the point, what did it stand for?

[skeath]

Most people don't realize that, before there was ITEA, there was TUBA, and before that was the original TUBA. Yes, you read that right. Before Harvey Phillips reorganized TUBA, there was already an organization by that name, started about 1968 by Robert Ryker, of the Montreal Symphony. I was a member of that, and still have my certificate. I was therefore a charter member of TUBA.


During the early years of the organization, I spent a few years as an Associate Editor of the Journal, doing new music reviews, and published a few articles of my own, but dropped out before the name change. I dropped out partly because they forgot to send me a renewal notice, and just dropped me, but largely because I saw too much chest thumping and politics, symbolism over substance.

[toobagrowl]

I dropped out partly because they forgot to send me a renewal notice, and just dropped me, but largely because I saw too much chest thumping and politics, symbolism over substance.

Those are pretty much the reasons I dropped out (let my membership expire) many years ago. The content/articles, layout and print quality of the older magazines and just the organization as a whole was MUCH better back in the T.U.B.A. days...

[tubamlb]

I am a Life member

Great Mag and wonderful information on fellow Tuba players

M&M Instruments
Michael Bassichis

[Alex C]

I no longer maintain membership in ITEA. The present journal is a much needed outlet for publication of academic articles for tubaists in university teaching positions. The organization definitely fills a need.

The journal was my main reason for being a member but the articles became more academically oriented and I am not as interested in the academic pursuit of tuba stuff now as I was when I was teaching full time.

Sandy, I joined in 1968. Is that long enough ago to be considered a charter member?

The T.U.B.A. acronym was cool and had an element of instrumental pride about it. ITEA doesn't carry any of that for me. If the acronym drops out of trademark protection someone should buy it.

[bisontuba]

HI-
These are very interesting responses. I originally posted this thread because I am surprised that some sort of recipricated agreement does not exist between the two. For example, couldn't each--TubeNet under the Sponsorship area and ITEA magazine each exchange ads for each other--free for each. Under shops, I think the old T.U.B.A. name still exists as the link to the ITEA website and member join up. I believe that ITEA is either very close or is in 'the red'--what better place to recruit new/former members that Tubenet--maybe as some sort of incentive, if folks who currently don't belong to ITEA sign up and mention they are joining because of TubeNet, you get $5 off your first years' dues, or if you become a life member, maybe a 5% discount for doing this because of TubeNet, etc.--just a thought(s). ITEA magazine keeps featuring academia folks, while Tubenet seems to cover--for better or for worse--EVERYTHING under the sun. Might ITEA look at TubeNet to improve/change/alter some of its content to make it more appealing to a broader audience (not everyone is a teacher at a college or a student at college....)? Just some random thoughts on a Friday afternoon........

Regards-
mark

[Brown Mule]

I joined to meet single women

[tubalex]

The other brass organizations:

International Horn Society: IHS
International Trumpet Guild: ITG
International Trombone Association: ITA

"ITEA", when grouped with these, does in fact read as more respectable than "TUBA." Also, "International Tuba and Euphonium Association" does not subtly exclude women and euphonium/baritone players, as "Tubists' Universal Brotherhood Association" did, subtly. I agree with these reasons and I am happy to be a current member of ITEA.

As for what it does for us other than take our money: the group commissions works, sponsors competitions, and organizes many, many conferences with tremendous diversity of content and location (glad that we are getting back to Europe next year...) At this year's SWRTEC I had many people ask me to let them register without being members of ITEA. You must realize that without ITEA these conferences simply would not happen.

Also, the archive of ITEA journals available online is a treasure trove of information, well written and well edited. While the lively and frequently helpful discourse of a site like the tubenet is a delightful step forward for our community, it really is essential for our community to have a professional organization with a publication that solicits, reviews and publishes articles and reviews by professional musicians and educators.

[BVD Press]

I joined to meet single women

Did it work?

[BVD Press]

I joined to meet single women

Did it work?

On a related note, I would have joined FluteWorld...

[Brown Mule]

I joined to meet single women

Did it work?

Score--------------------------"0" Guess I'll have to join Tuba Tinkers Jumbo Symposium and try to find a strong, hefty,weight-lifting Jumbo Conn Tuba player gal there to carry my 25j to gigs) ( I"d better hope" the bride" doesn't get on here and read this mess).