Transcript from March 23, 2005 Alan Baer TubeNet Chat.

[WoodSheddin]

2005-03-23 19:00 Alan Baer login this room: TubeNet Live Chat
2005-03-23 19:00 WoodSheddin says: Would like to welcome Alan Baer of the New York Philharmonic tonight
2005-03-23 19:00 Alan Baer says: Hi all
2005-03-23 19:00 WoodSheddin says: http://newyorkphilharmonic.org/meet/orc ... sonNum=931
2005-03-23 19:01 WoodSheddin says: Mr. Baer may have some opening words then when he is ready for questions we will begin
2005-03-23 19:03 Alan Baer says: okay now I'm back, please overlook the typos, I'll try to type as fast as possible
2005-03-23 19:03 WoodSheddin says: take your time, anything you would like to say before we begin questions?
2005-03-23 19:04 Alan Baer says: No, lets just get into the questions and if I feel the need I'll interject some thoughts.


2005-03-23 19:04 WoodSheddin says: so who would like to field the first question?
2005-03-23 19:04 WoodSheddin says: anyone?


2005-03-23 19:04 Z-Tuba Dude says: what was the biggest surprise that you found when you began playing in the NY Phil?
2005-03-23 19:06 Alan Baer says: the amount of sound that the guys produce. Most of the time I would start playing with a section and would feel that I had to back off, not with these guys, they play for keeps and push back.


2005-03-23 19:06 WoodSheddin says: keep the questions flowing
2005-03-23 19:06 WoodSheddin says: we will keep them in line


2005-03-23 19:06 mog976 says: how did you go about developing your tone and the other aspects of your musicianship? Just practicing?
2005-03-23 19:09 Alan Baer says: everyone has their own sound. You will sound like you on what ever you play.. I have chosen equipment that allows me to play with my sound the easiest. Most will play too big of equipment that makes them force the sound that they want. more in a sec.
2005-03-23 19:10 Alan Baer says: I do practice alot and work for a fast airsteam and constant air flow. Air is the key. one must be efficient


2005-03-23 19:10 Jonathantuba says: What equipment do you use
2005-03-23 19:10 Alan Baer says: big tuba is a Gronitz
2005-03-23 19:10 Alan Baer says: PCK , a 1291, and a 181 F


2005-03-23 19:11 Steve Oberheu says: speaking of development...as you were growing musically, what did you find was your one biggest obstacle (tuba playing-wise or other) and how did you overcome it?
2005-03-23 19:12 Alan Baer says: the horn was the biggest obsticle. I was fighting the horn and it took so much energy I was missing out on making music. ..


2005-03-23 19:12 danb says: any thoughts on the philadelphia audition?
2005-03-23 19:12 Alan Baer says: Yes....
2005-03-23 19:12 Alan Baer says: here is comes
2005-03-23 19:13 Alan Baer says: 1 the list was not too hard
2005-03-23 19:13 Alan Baer says: 2 they Do want to hire someone
2005-03-23 19:13 Alan Baer says: 3. no one turned their head more
2005-03-23 19:14 Alan Baer says: in an audition, you have to be perfect in all the basics
2005-03-23 19:14 Alan Baer says: experience helps as well


2005-03-23 19:15 Aubrey Foard says: Did you make changes (other than equipment) preparing for National and NY that made those auditions different from others?
2005-03-23 19:16 Alan Baer says: but, I feel that the audition is like a recital, how would you play Prok. 5 in the middle on the VW. AND did any of the guys take that approach and wow them?
2005-03-23 19:17 Alan Baer says: really started looking at what they wanted to hear musicly. Where is the line rather that did I play the low notes loud enough.
2005-03-23 19:18 Alan Baer says: stopped worrying about how much sound... get over the ego, the tuba is huge and puts out enough, make music.


2005-03-23 19:18 TheChiefofStaph says: What does a typical week (as far as practice time, rehearsals, concerts, etc.) look like for you? Or is there no such thing as a typical week?
2005-03-23 19:21 Alan Baer says: well, mon. sometimes off, tues reh and concert, wed double reh. thurs can be reh and concert , fri concert, sat concert, sun off. practice every reh. before with Don Harwood on Rochuts, almost every one, squeeze in an hour or so when ever I can throughout the day.


2005-03-23 19:22 winston says: What advice can you give to a young university tuba player that aspires to become a tubist like yourself?
2005-03-23 19:24 Alan Baer says: you need to learn how to practice asap... establish a daily routine, both horns (cross training) Like the Bell routine, get to as many live concerts as possible, enter into many competitions, it's good to see how you stack up.. good reality check...


2005-03-23 19:24 Steve Oberheu says: have you given any thought to doing a solo CD of any sort?
2005-03-23 19:26 Alan Baer says: working on picking the music out as we speak... as a matter of fact, I'm aiming it at the University students... If you want, please e-mail me and put in a suggestion on what would help you the most, what the university students would want to hear.
2005-03-23 19:26 Alan Baer says: looking to record in the next two months

2005-03-23 19:26 Tubadad says: Your thoughts on the trend towards larger horns (6/4) as the only CC horn for an aspiring orchestral tubist? Are auditions being won today with a good 4/4 horn (and a good F)?
(not answered earlier) I don't believe anyone without a job needs a 6/4 instrument. A horn of that size is not a good choice for auditioning,IMO, the frack factor goes up considerably, and the clarity goes out the window. 6/4 horns are good within the orchestra for the bigger works but I feel they are "one trick ponies". My choice for auditioning is a 5/4 instrument. I would say go with a smaller horn and gain control and clarity so that your not fighting the instrument. A darker 4/4 horn could be used but might sound a bit light compared to the 5/4 and 6/4 sounds...

2005-03-23 19:26 danb says: do you feel teaching is an important aspect to making progress yourself or do you feel it's more just passing information along? do you get your stimuli from elsewhere?
2005-03-23 19:29 Alan Baer says: Oh yes... some of the things that I use myself are things that I've first tried on my students. The Students give you a push and it really is cool for me to see them grow. My students at UWM were very involved in the auditions of 2002 and 2003. They got to see 1st hand what it takes to get a job.
(extra added) teaching just plain makes me think about the more simple aspects of the music. the basics.. I'm always looking for ways to keep inspired and to keep my students inspired. Use of drum machines, drones, playing along with a CD accomp. of Rochut. it all helps. You have to be inventive and do what ever it takes to keep it going.


2005-03-23 19:30 WoodSheddin says: Mr. Baer, we greatly appreciate your time answering questions. Anything else you would like to say before we wrap up tonight
2005-03-23 19:30 Alan Baer says: sure.
2005-03-23 19:33 Alan Baer says: take a good look at your playing, take a good listen, record, and see if you like what your hearing. How would you want to hear it by a vocalist? sing it yourself, 9 times out of 10 your not playing that way. We get behind the instrument and become blind. Take yourself out of the picture and take a good look at your product.
2005-03-23 19:33 Alan Baer says: good luck,
2005-03-23 19:34 WoodSheddin says: Some great words to work
by. Thanks you for your time tonight
2005-03-23 19:35 Alan Baer quit this room: TubeNet Live Chat
(Added after)
some good things to look for to help keep yourself interested and excited about your music:
1. a good mini disc recorder
2. Hickeys.com has the CD accomps. to the Rochuts and other things as well.. try down two octaves with the CD. Ever worked low register, intonation, air flow, and musicality at one time?? record it too..
3. the Bell routine.. this is a great daily drill of scales. do it with a metronome, or a drone to get the best bang for the buck. record this too...
4. a tuba rest... and a rest for you too.. with the tuba on a rest and you on the same seat each time you play, you go back to the same spot on the face every time.. Ever show up to an audition and sit down in a shitty chair? How comfortable did you feel? How well did you play? Did you just blow an audition because of a stupid chair? Get your own chair, it's as important as your own mouthpiece...
5. The proper mouthpiece to the horn. I've been working on a mid sized mouthpiece with GW Mouthpieces. I've now been playing this piece for almost 4 weeks and I'm amazed at the clarity and power that I'm able to achieve with it. This piece was designed to be a "do it all piece". I don't believe in changing mouthpieces for low register stuff or loud stuff, etc. ONE PIECE.. They've come up with a shank for the Euro and it will also be available for the American horns as well.. It's about the size of a Laskey 30 H but with a very comfortable Miraphone C4 rim. The stainless has allowed us to make the piece very thin so it responds instantly with a great exciting sound, yet holds together in the extreme louds just like a heavy walled brass piece.

[Lew]

Wow, sorry I missed it live. This is great stuff, and a great opportunity to hear from someone who's been there (and is there now). Thanks...

[Scott Sutherland]

It's found in William Bell's Warm-ups and Daily Routine. It is a well thought-out routine that goes through all of the most common scales and arpeggios. Specifically, it goes through the major scale in triplets and sixteenths, harmonic minor and chromatic scales followed by arpeggios: major, subdominant, dominant seventh, minor and augmented, all in each of the 12 keys, two octaves and with varying articulations. Takes around 20 minutes. Quite the workout!

[MichaelDenney]

Sean,
Thank you for the effort that went into arranging this. TubeNet almost always keeps me excited about playing when everyday and everyweek life gets in the way.

Very gracious of Mr. Baer to share his time and thoughts with everyone. I certainly learned a couple of things.

[MaryAnn]

I missed the live but enjoyed the transcript. On the chair...I HAD to start taking my own chair when I started playing the CC. It has to sit on the chair, my own specific chair, which lucky for me is a folding wooden chair with a level padded seat....in order to have the mpc hit me in the mouth. I don't need a stand when I have this chair. Without this chair I am always either stretched or hunched.


And Bloke, what scales are for: when I was learning violin, on the way to being pro, one thing I did daily was scales and arpeggios. I sight read like a bandit on violin. On brass instruments, I've had to spend so much time developing tone that I haven't put that kind of time into scales. I sight read slow stuff just fine, but when a fast scale pattern presents itself I have to fake it. That's what scales are for.

MA, who has sight read more than one concert on more than one instrument (but not at the same time!)