Posted by Jay Bertolet on July 04, 2000 at 09:43:44:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Tuba Openings in Florida posted by Al on July 04, 2000 at 08:37:10:
The reason no helpful answers are forthcoming to your question is that you've asked a question that doesn't have the type of answer you want. Being a professional player in Florida myself, I can tell you from firsthand experience that tuba gigs of any sort are few and far between. Fewer still are ones that pay enough for you to make a living or even help you to pay for a PT-7P. I know of only 5 orchestras in Florida that pay any reasonable wage and they already have tuba players. If Gail Robertson advised you to audition for Disney, I would take her advice. She knows the scene in central Florida as well as anybody and her suggestion would be one I'd trust. Just think about it, if you want a steady tuba gig, what kind of gig would that be? The only things that come to my mind are orchestral, small ensemble (quintet, tuba quartet, etc.), or some sort of popular type ensemble (jazz, dixie, etc.). I don't believe there are any full time small ensembles in Florida that use tuba, since Disney let go the tuba quartet there, except for whatever groups in Disney there still are that use tuba. I also don't know of any full time jazz or dixieland groups that use tuba (other than at Disney) which are based in Florida. And all the orchestral jobs are filled.
Your teachers may have been trying to tell you to pursue music as a career because you show promise. But understand that the career of the professional player precludes picking a specific geographical area to live in and work in. You pretty much follow the steps all great players do: You practice, you take auditions, and then you move to wherever you win a job. I myself am from Detroit and if you think I envisioned myself spending the bulk of my career in Florida, you would be mistaken. If you have to secure a job in a specific region, you should expect to have to be creative, as in starting your own group, investing the time and energy to make it great and marketable, and then start selling your group to local establishments in hopes of finding a steady, stable income. I'm pretty sure this will take some time...
My opinion for what its worth...