Posted by Scott Norberg on December 18, 2001 at 16:56:57:
In Reply to: What is it with playing LOUD ??? posted by Tim Cary on December 18, 2001 at 12:33:16:
Too much of the time in a high school setting there are way too many flute and trumpet players and not enough low brass players in general. I've also noticed that most high school low brass (tuba and euph especially) players don't put enough air into their horn and don't give the ensemble enough bottom. With not enough bottom because of the flutes and trumpets, who does the director ask more of? The tubas, of course. The high school tubist, who since he doesn't use enough "warm" air just blasts out notes. And the director often doesn't worry about the tuba section because they're often worried about either the harmony or the melody, supposedly the parts the audience will hear the most. I wouldn't say that it's entirely the teacher's fault, but a lot of it is that the kid hasn't been told otherwise.
Scott