Posted by Steve Dedman on August 07, 2001 at 23:55:20:
In Reply to: Re: Comments from an old tuba player posted by A college student... on August 06, 2001 at 18:04:53:
As someone who works with audio/visual technology, I can tell you that the liklihood of Mr. Jacobs, or anybody else, for that matter "blowing out a microphone" is approximately zero. Even the most powerful player currently active (your choice of whom that might be) playing as loudly and as distastefully as possible will not blow a microphone stuck down their bell. They might overmodulate the recorded sound, causing distortion, but that is more that fault of the audio engineer than the player. It's the responsibility of the engineer to 1) place the mic correctly for optimum performance, 2) do a sound check to get a rough idea of levels, and 3) compensate during the performance if need be. (I recall reading somewhere the the CSO only used 2 or 3 mics for recording in Symphony Hall - does that sound about right?)
Of course some places in the literature call for you to really drop the hammer and push the envelope of volume. But "big" and "loud" are two different things. You can play "big" without playing "loud" (which usually works OK), and you can play "loud" without playing "big" (which seldom works). But the more "big" you can play, usually the less you will have to worry about the "loud."
One final thought, take it as you wish, or not. Your quote:
"tuba players, and their cohorts, have been accustomed to hearing the polite tuba"
If you mean "polite tuba" as in he/ she doesn't stand out, I think you're mistaken. By definition as the only one in the orchestra, the tuba has to stand out sometimes (eg. the beginning of the Finale of Mahler 6). But more often, you have to be the underpinnings of an entire section. The Ride is NOT a tuba solo. No blend = No job. Or, if you are overplaying the rest of a band section, you're wrong. The players in the President's Own, or Pershing's bands don't do that. Just because the tuba has gained much wider acceptance as a solo instrument doesn't mean that it's always suposed to be what you hear.
If you mean "polite tuba" as a personal attribute, I think you need to take Dale's advice about the people skills. An a** can get a job; often easier than a polite person, because they have plenty of practice at being forced to look for another job. Never burn bridges, especially in this field. If you have done so already, I would suggest making amends while you still can.
My dos pesos.
Steve