Posted by Kelly O'Bryant on March 14, 1999 at 23:24:21:
In Reply to: T.U.B.A. ? posted by Bushrod on March 13, 1999 at 12:00:07:
Greetings, one and all.
Here are some answers for all of you concerning T.U.B.A., both for the "doubters" and the "believers".
I can address this issue with some authority, as I am a member of the T.U.B.A. Journal Staff, as well as a Life Member of T.U.B.A. I have read all of the comments on this thread with quite a bit of interest, and would like to adress a few points...
First and foremost, let me say that those of you who have not been active members of T.U.B.A. in the past 12 to 24 months are in for a lot of surprises. The Journal, as well as T.U.B.A. as a whole, has seen signifcant changes over the past year or so. We have been through two Senior Editors, have re-assembled the entire Journal Staff, begun a relationship with a new publisher/printer, etc., etc..... For those of you not aware, the Journal has indeed come a long way over the last two years, both in appearance and content.
Let me point out that no one, with the exception of Senior Editor Jerry Young, gets paid a single dime for working for T.U.B.A. And, I can tell you that when the Journal team was reorganized, the honorarium the Jerry recieves for his COUNTLESS hours of effort was reduced substantially. So yes, the entire Journal is put together by folks who are doing it because they care about the organization. And rest assured, it is definitely a labor of love sometimes. As News Editor and senior Conference "reporter", I can tell you that (sometimes) trying to get folks to get involved and contibute to the Journal is like trying to pull teeth from a Pit Bull with rabies using your bare hands. The same can be said for the overall membership's involvement with any facet of T.U.B.A. Each election, the percentage of members who actually vote and get involved is dramatically low. T.U.B.A. exists for all of us - if you want to see changes, get of your butt and get involved.
Volume 26, Number 2, Winter 1999 was mailed out some time ago. Approximately the second or third week of JAN, '99. You should see a color photo of the late Dr. Jacobs on the front. If you haven't received yours yet, there are two possibilities:
1. You are a very new member of T.U.B.A. It takes time for the paperwork, dues, etc., etc., to grab hold and take effect. Remember, there is no "head office" for T.U.B.A. Everything administrative happens "after hours" in University offices and private studios all across the U.S. by volunteers. My own students have voiced their concerns about "why didn't I get all my stuff??? I mean, God, I mailed my stuff in 3 days ago!". It takes time. Be patient. It usually takes a month or two to get you "in the system".
2. You have let your membership expire, and you are unaware of it. If I remember correctly, each mailing label on the Journal you recieve has an expiration date of your membership on it. Will you get a nice letter form T.U.B.A. telling you your dues are due again? No. We are a small group, with a limited budget, and the "hey, where's your money" letters don't come out anually. Should they? Perhaps. Regardless, the expiration notice for each individual is on the mailing label on your Journal. We are smart enough to take complex things and turn them into music, so we should all be smart enough to spend 5 extra seconds reading a mailing label.
You must also be aware of just how the entire Journal process works. Let's use the upcoming issue, Volume 26, Number 3, Spring 1999, as an example. The deadline for any and all individuals to get information to the editorial staff was 01 FEB 99. As with any thing, there were late comers, so in reality that was more like 15/20 FEB 99. Then, it takes 2 or 3 weeks for the editorial staff to get all of the info edited and off to Wisconsin, where Jerry Young does a final proof of it for accuracy. Then, it goes to the publisher, where the photos, ads, color stuff, and graphics are laid out. Then, once Jerry and the publisher approve it, it goes to the printer. Then it gets mailed, which will be approximately 01 April 99. So, you see, it takes approximately 60 days from the deadline to the mailing. Could it be faster? Heck, yes. How? We could hire a full-time professional Journal staff, and be so far in debt that we would have to file for a Chapter 11 protection. T.U.B.A. has somewhere around 3,000 members, the bulk of which pay either $25 or $40 per year to belong. Do the math. We aren't rich. Even at the rate of $40 a year, you are getting a GREAT deal. Sure, in one sense, that makes it $10 per issue, but take that a step farther. You are getting a ton of info you can't get anywhere else, you are being kept current on all different aspects of your path of music, and you get all the benefits of ITEC stuff, etc., etc.... To say that all you get for $40 a year is four issues of your tuba magazine is a little narrow, IMHO.
And yes, the bulk of the folks who run T.U.B.A are out "doing conferences, clinics, concerts and junk". Do you wanna know why? Because we are the people who are involved with the tuba and euph at a level where we have devoted our entire lives to it, and we want to "further the cause" whenever we can. I will use myself as an example. Between solo recital shows and tours, brass quintet shows, and my university teaching, I play about 125 concerts a year, teach 23 students a week, and travel anywhere from 80,000 to 100,000 miles a year. Yet I'm proud to volunteer the time it takes to keep the Journal running, because I belive in it, and what T.U.B.A. stands for. Do I need it for the $$$ (yeah, right) or as a "resume builder" at this point in my career? No. I do it, and sacrifice a lot of time (usually late at night, therefore "time" = "sleep") because I care enough about our "club" that I want to see it get better, and if I can help in that process, I'm happy to do it. And as far as conferences and clinics go, there would hardly be a low brass confrence on the planet today if it weren't for the efforts of T.U.B.A. Who do you think is responsible for all fo the big ITEC's?? Hmmmmmm....
And, in conclusion (much applause and stomping of feet, I know...), let me say that we really do have a great thing in T.U.B.A. and the Journal. I meet so many folks on the road, and every time I hang with a trumpet, horn, or t-bone cat, the first thing I hear when they see my Journal in my bag is "wow, I wish we could get our Journal like that! T.U.B.A. is really happening", etc., etc..... Is T.U.B.A. perfect? No. Do we have room for improvement? Of course. But, for a group of folks strung out all across the U.S. (and more and more the entire world), who all do it for free, and put in more volunteer hours than you can really imagine, and ship all the stuff, etc., at their own expense (yep...), we have a pretty damn good thing happening. If your Journal doesn't come on the exact second of every three months, relax. You've got a lot of folks working hard too make sure you do get it ASAP. If it's a week or so late, relax. For what you pay for it, T.U.B.A. and the Journal is the best bang for your buck, hands down. You will be hard pressed to find another organization who does so much with such limited resources.
Sermon over ;-)
Sincerely,
Kelly O...
T.U.B.A. News Editor, T.U.B.A. Life Member
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Kelly O'Bryant
Tuba Soloist/Professor of Music
kotuba(AT)erols.com
Annapolis, Maryland
http://www.erols.com/kotuba