Posted by Jay Bertolet on February 25, 2000 at 09:58:33:
In Reply to: what's up with orchestral playing? posted by ken k on February 24, 2000 at 23:28:37:
Your's are some very valid observations. And the others who have already posted responses have made some excellent points as well. All I know is my own experiences as someone who has gone through the process and reached, at least partially, the goals you propose to examine.
I disagree with you about the ethics of a college offering a narrowly focused training program that is targeted at producing an orchestral tuba player. In fact, I think that such a program will help a tuba player to win an audition. Now I'm not saying that a tubist shouldn't be versatile in his knowledge of different styles of playing. Nor am I suggesting that he shouldn't be extremely well versed in the study of music history and theory. But what I am suggesting is that the competition for these orchestral positions is such that your playing skills have to be honed to a fine edge to be successful. And before anyone says it, I'll say it. Really focusing your study in this manner isn't the only way to be successful in the process. There are many examples of successful players who didn't train in this really focused manner. Conversely, focusing your studies in this manner isn't any sort of guarantee of winning a job either. But let's look at the prospective student. When I was at this point, I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life but orchestral tuba playing. Anything else would have left me unhappy and unsatisfied. I knew the realities of auditions, at least enough to know roughly how hard it was to get a job. But I was determined to achieve my goals. So shouldn't a college provide the specific training I need that will allow me to do with my life as I would choose? I say if the student is willing to go down that road, with the eyes wide open and aware, then the college is obligated to provide the best possible training to help the student achieve those goals. In fact, if the college isn't willing to provide that training then I would suggest that the particular college is not the right choice for such a student.
The other statement you made that I noticed was that orchestral playing was not even what the tuba does best. In all my years of playing, I've never found a more natural match for the tuba's capabilities than orchestral playing. I'd be very curious to hear your thoughts on why you think the tuba isn't 'best' suited to orchestral playing and also what you think the tuba does best. My opinion is that it isn't so much the capabilities of the instrument as much as it is the capabilities of the player. What I mean by that is that in one player's hands, the tuba is a perfect match for the orchestra. In another's, it might be brass quintet. In a third, it might be solos. Music comes from within, not from without. I believe that the tuba's capabilities are determined by the individual player. So I guess my original statement in this paragraph should read "I've never found a more natural match for the tuba's capabilities, in my hands, than orchestral playing.".
I think the real question you pose is why do students gravitate so strongly toward being an orchestral tuba player? I can only guess at what others feel about this but my answer is simple. If you have to ask, then you don't feel it. My urge to play in an orchestra was very compelling, so much so that it was impossible for me to ignore. Considering the difficulties in competing for such a scare number of jobs, my guess is that others felt this same compulsion to play in an orchestra. Otherwise, they would have worked to achieve some other job that would have required less work, more pay, and a better chance of getting a job. Believe you me, the road looks great when you're finally on it but before that, it ain't pretty!
My opinions for what its worth...