Professional?

[Ken Herrick]

What exactly defines one as a pro? Having been paid for work in semi pro groups or being a full time musician?

Now, there is a serious question which may or may not take a long and involved answer.
Maybe it depends on whether the IRS knows about what you get up to.

Then maybe it is something like the way paid jobs in an Army reserve band in Melbourne were once described as "The best blow job in town".

Then of course there were the girls who got to ride in their bosses Eldorado going past NEC in Boston about 40 years ago - they were called pros.

When I was a junior in High School I got paid to play with the Knox College-Galesburg Symphony which might have been the start of my "pro" career. Then again Jake said "Now you are a pro" when I got paid for playing a gig at a Knackwurst Festival in Skokie. (Mostly paid in beer) Then again it could have been in grade seven after I played Carnival of Venice for some local women's group and they gave some money to the school band's instrument fund.

Me thinks it could be a rather loosely applied term here.

Now that I'm retired - or is that tired again - I guess i couldn't call meself a prostituba and i certainly don't own a Caddy. Fact is I never had one of those when I was playing golf but maybe Tiger could tell us something about pro caddies and I think he does own one, though it might be for sale and going cheap due to some glass damage. Actually my ute needs to be retired too as they've done a few thou.

Of Course, Schlep could be a "semi-pro" if he drives big enough trucks or would that be pro-semi-pro if he gets paid to do it?

Beam me up Scotty.............
Maybe this would be a good topic for a survey on the main forum.

[windshieldbug]

Does the hidden section come with a secret handshake?

[Ken Herrick]

I guess i couldn't call meself a prostituba

Wouldn't that be "Prostitubaist"? Oh no, that's right, the official ruling by ITEA (the group formerly known as T.U.B.A.) decided it was "Prostitubist."

"Still looking for that fall journal that I paid for and never received..."

I tend to go along with what Jake used to call himself: "Just the dumb old tuba player".
When you put 2 menny sibbalabbles in the scripshun of what we call ourselves i tend to get lost - along with everybody else.

I sometimes have dickafalty memberin wehter i'm in a prostate position or if my prostrate might be giving me probs.Then again, have I been too "Yank" and put two many RRRRRRRRs in there somwear????

Maybe that is why I tend to go talk to horses so much - people think I'm mad (and they are prolly RITE - but the horses don't lie to me and always welcome me back)

That whole T.U.B.A. Vs ITEA thing was a bit of a hiccup. I remember when Harvey first mentioned the idea of starting TUBA ( my "devil's advocate" gene making me think WHAT!?!?! TUBA??? and you know what it stands for, I'm sure) I have never been a member simply because I have generally been short of doreme and foreign exchange is a real pain in the anterior regions (as well as expensivethanks to the greedy banks) BUT I think Harve did something really good there.

Okay, I'll sound like an old fart havin a rant; (bet that was hard to pick) In my personal view, Harvey, all things considered, has done more good which has been of benefit to the current generation of tuba players, tubaists. tubists, BAT blowers, or whatever else you might want (or not want) to be called, than any other single person - and for that matter - any other two or three put together. I unreservedly and unashamedly include Jake there and having studied with both have at least a firm foundation for my opinion.

Let's see now, where was I. Oh yes............."professional"

An amatuer does something for the love of doing it.

There is a fair chance that a "professional" does it for the reward.

When we turn those adjectives into adverbs we start going wrong.

Oh yes, Back to LJV. I believe that non salaried volunteers run ITEA - and it could be the Post office(FOrget what you call it there now) that stuffed up. HEY, put the question to them about what happened and maybe even offer a little help?!?!?!?

Anyhow, it's all good fun - at least as long as you let it be.