Posted by Chuck Jackson on August 16, 2002 at 16:09:36:
OK, this has got to be the goofiest post I have ever submitted. Joe S. purported in a post below that one good pair of pants and shirt would do for any occasion. Now I am going to go off on the mother of all tangents and see if regional clothing tastes dictate what kind of tuba one would play. Chalk this up to too much time on my hands, being a....GASP.. strings teacher or just totally off my collective rocker. Anyway, here goes my very opinionated choices. Some caveats...I have lived most everywhere I have mentioned and if you are offended by any of this, you need a serious nappy.....Cheers.
Northeast: My "home" growing up. Simple jeans, white tee-shirt, and Chuck Taylor's(black high tops)- This screams Mirafone 186 BBb, CC, meat and potatoes.
Southeast: Genteel south is all Khaki's and Button downs- I'm thinking Hirsbrunner. Mountain South with it's Overalls and clodhoppers-Sousaphone with a sufficient amount of duct tape to qualify as a Jeff Foxworthy joke.
Mid-West: The land of big shoulders wears blue pants(fabric not known to man), white shirts(JUST buttoned over the "tone-chamber")scuffed black shoes with white socks. Anything big, York, Holton, Conn 2x's, just plaing big.
Texas: Ah, Texas, tight jeans, boots, big ol' belt buckles, western shirts, and BIG hats. Who cares what you play as long as it is LOUD!!!!!!!!
Northwest: Warm pants, hand made shirts, rain coats, galooshes, lots of granola and coffee. I am thinking anything that is cobbled together from 2 or more horns. Not pretty, but good conversation at THAT coffee shop that serves bitter, awful, and overpriced liquid sunshine.
Cali: Anything goes as long as it is pressed, laundered, silky, cool, pastel, black(can't forget the inherent angst of the movie industry), looks good in a car that will do 180, but is often stuck in a steel glacier of stopped traffic. Yamaha, Yamaha, Yamaha: the instrument with the look and attitude that says: "HEY, look at me" and not need years of psychotherapy.
Enjoy, take it for what it's worth, hey, add your own. To all of you heading back to the joy of teaching school, have a beer.
Chuck