Euphonium performance

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 1:09 pm

After listening to a performance of the Pickard "Gaia Symphony" and noticing the challenging euphonium passages, I began to wonder. To wit:

1. Given the large body of euphonium material in the brass band literature, how could anyone study euphonium performance at an institution that doesn't even have a brass band?

and

2. How could anyone expect to major in euphonium performance and, at the same time, expect to read only bass-clef parts?

I'm not trolling. I'd genuinely like to hear a discussion.

Thanks!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 1:29 pm

You definitely need to be able to read both clefs if you play euphonium. I've run across a couple of tuba quartet pieces that had tuba in bass clef and euphonium only in treble clef.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 1:51 pm

The movie is "Brassed Off"

Joe Baker · Post by **Joe Baker** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:20 pm

To those who might misunderstand and want to flame me, let me say that I love listening to and playing the euph. It's a beautiful instrument, and I wish there were more opportunities to play and hear it. But a person who majors in euph performance in the U.S. has to fit one of three categories:

1. Hoping to play in a military band;
2. Unaware that there are no non-military euph performance jobs; or
3. Majoring in euph performance (maybe for scholarship $$?) but not intending to make a living playing euph.

Players in the first category study with the guy who is best at placing players in military bands. Players in the second category are irrational, so there's no explaining anything they do. And players in the third category are probably minoring in whatever they plan to really do for a living, and have chosen their school based upon that consideration.

The way I see it, the guy who is swayed by a school because it has a brass band would be more of an ambitious amateur who wants to play challenging and beautiful music a few times a week while pursuing that degree in whatever else he wants to do.
___________________________________
Joe Baker, who wishes euph WAS used more.

Dean · Post by **Dean** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:57 pm

River City Brass Band is not a full-time gig. There are about 8-9 salary members of that ensemble--those people having secondary jobs, such as personnel director, librarian, etc... The rest of the band is paid on a per-service basis.

Those members might make around 20 grand a year if they do every service, a little more or less depending on how much the band is booked. A VERY nice "night job" to suppliment a day-job income, which is what most of the players do.

Its a very good brass band.

To answer the above 2 questions...

1. There are plenty of band euphoniums excerpts to learn, many of which are quite difficult. A few orchestral excerpts as well, which many of us will probably never play, most of them are quite difficult. Also, the solo literature, mainly the crazy stuff written lately, is so challenging to encompass all band literature. If you can play that stuff, you have the technique to win a military gig... Also, as was posted above, there are actually a few band gigs to be won, there are zero full-time brass band gigs. (with the exception of River City, to a degree)

2. All college studio teachers should demand that his/her euph players (both music ed and performance) learn both treble and bass clef to a near-equal proficiency. May as well throw tenor clef in as well, with a little alto clef for the performance majors. There is simply no reason not to learn em all...

Chuck(G) · Post by **Chuck(G)** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 3:27 pm

For those who say "there's no reason to learn BB lit because there are no full-time US jobs in it", I'd like to ask if the only reason one majors in euphonium performance is to get a job in a military band--because that's the only paying euphonium gig (for all intents and purposes) in the US?

And does one expect to be qualifed only for those euphonium jobs available in the US? Or should one feel accomplished enough to compete in the international arena?

Or does one (I suspect) major in euphonium performance mostly for one's own gratification?

winston · Post by **winston** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 10:01 pm

Dean · Post by **Dean** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 12:04 am

I'd like to ask if the only reason one majors in euphonium performance is to get a job in a military band--because that's the only paying euphonium gig (for all intents and purposes) in the US?

The reason is up to the individual. My reason for having a teaching degree is that I PERSONALLY believe that a string of performance degrees are useless. For those with several (undergrad, graduate, doctoral) degrees, sure, do performance for one of em. You can become a great player in any degree program... Heck, you can even become a great player as an engineering major if you want to... Why spend all that time to get 1,2, or 3 pieces of paper that ONLY validate something that we can hear immediately when they pick up their horn??? Course, if they get a gig, then mission accomplished

The Impaler · Post by **The Impaler** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 1:45 pm

Great thoughts and ideas in this thread! This is a subject near and dear to me because I am about to do a performance degree. I already have degrees in music education and in instrumental conducting, so my choice to major in euph performance for my DMA is simply to make me the most well-rounded and versatile musician I can be.

One of my goals for many years has been to teach on the college level, so several years ago I began asking myself, and my teacher, what I needed to do to get there. The DMA is becoming an essential part; so is performance (fo a studio gig). My biggest problem was that I only played euphonium, and that would have made me very unmarketable in the long run. So, a year and a half ago, I bought a tuba and started learning to play tuba as well.

For me, it's all about making myself the most marketable musician possible, with the goal in mind of getting to that next level, where I want to be. Also, that's really just the practical part. I also do it because I love what I'm doing and as much as I love tuba, or euphonium, or conducting, or whatever, I really don't know if I could be 100% happy as a musician without some aspect of all those things in my life. So, that's why I'm doing it. Again, great thread!