Re: Re: Old school vs. New school


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Posted by David on August 06, 2001 at 12:33:27:

In Reply to: Re: Old school vs. New school posted by hmmm on August 06, 2001 at 09:45:35:

I can now refer to another post, Comments from an old tuba player. He refers to the players of today as playing LOUD.

While the concept of playing loud was taught by many of the Bill Bell students when they became teachers and performers, the primary concept was that you were a "musician" first and a tuba player second. It is strictly my opinion that technical prowess is taught by many teachers of today to the detriment of musicality. This is not to say that Arnold Jacobs, Harvey Phillips, Abe Torchinsky, Bill Rose, Roger Bobo and many others, did not teach a student to play loudly. The LOUD was tempered, however, by the context of the music.

I have to agree with my wife when she calls players who have lots of technical prowess and the ability to out-blow all but the bagpipe player a "tuba jock". Who really enjoys hearing only the tuba in a major symphony?

I am of the opinion that with the increased technical abilities that a quantum leap in musicianship is possible. It is going to take teachers teaching musical style rather than volume and fingers. It also takes students who want to become musicians and not just another "jock".



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