Posted by Rick Denney on August 31, 2002 at 16:54:04:
In Reply to: Re: Re: My Dillon Music Experience posted by Richard on August 31, 2002 at 10:57:43:
Scott was there during one of my visits, too. He handed me his tuba, and asked for my opinion. That was intimidating, but after a minute or two you forget that and just play. The atmosphere at Dillon's just doesn't support being too awe-struck, and you realize that guys like Scott consider themselves to have more in common with hobbyist tuba players like me than with non-tuba players. Most top pros I've met are just that way, or they make a convincing show of it. Ain't it great?
To Dee: One of the things that intimidates me the most is 1.) not being warmed up, and 2.) not having any music to play that sounds like music. Anybody of any ability can address this issue. Make sure you give yourself a chance to warm up thoroughly, and I find that it is most useful to do that on your own horn. This helps you establish that horn in your mind accurately, and it is also most familiar to you which will calm your nerves. After all, any horn you audition ought to be compared to what you are playing now.
I always have some excerpts memorized that I can use to test certain features of a tuba. For example, the low part from the second movement of Pictures at an Exhibition seems a good test of how easy a tuba is to play down low and how it sounds, and it is within any player's range. It's also in a key that will test my intonation on BBb tubas. I will usually play parts of Air and Bourree, because I can sort of play it and because I have it memorized. Also, I know how it is supposed to sound. It's a great baseline for me, and has been for 25 years, in all sorts of comparisons. When trying out F tubas, I usually play bits of the Marcello Sonata in F--the slow movement tests the low register, and it is technical enough to check responsiveness without being out of range for players like us. If you know and love the music, you'll attend to the music instead of the environment.
I never (any more) attempt music that I can't play on any instrument. I don't see how high I can play, or butcher the Ride or Vaughan Williams--I save that private humiliation for my practice room.
I like you criteria. The instruments that tempt me are the ones that I just want to keep playing.
Rick "a veteran of music-store jitters" Denney