hear with their eyes

[bloke]

I took a length of 4 x 4 pine, put an Epiphone neck on it, wound a couple of homemade pickups and mounted them on the wood. Then I added a bridge and a Vibrola tailpiece, strung it up, and I had the Log. It was crude, but when I plugged it into an amp, it worked.

On a Saturday night, I took it to The Sheik, a little club in Sunnyside, where I played the same songs (on the Log) with the same trio I often jammed with, and nobody gave much notice to it. I was getting a very cool, unusual sound with this electric Log ... A piece of lumber being played as an electric guitar was something nobody had ever seen before, or even thought of, but it didn’t seem to make a big impression.

So I went back to the Epiphone factory, took the sound box of an old Epiphone archtop, and sawed it in half right down the middle. Then I braced up the halves so they could be
attached to the sides... With wings attached, I took the Log
back to the same club, and jammed again with the same trio.

And to my surprise, there was a great reaction. Everyone
started talking about the unusual sound and asking questions about the guitar and my amplifier. There was a positive reaction to the sound I got that night, which was the same sound the same people had heard before. So I came to the conclusion that people hear with their eyes.

What about tubas...or players thereof ?

[Three Valves]

Yes.

Just as presentation makes a difference in food.

It doesn't make shitty food any better.

But is doesn't make good food great!

[bloke]

I went too a recital once where a young lady walked out in flip-flops and played the tuba, and yet another one where an equally good oboist (my own daughter) walked out on stage in flip-flops and played a recital. They both played very well, but the presentation suffered, and I couldn't help but wonder if either of them were particularly interested in being there, as quite a few had gone to some trouble to attend those recitals.

I realize I'm not discussing instruments, but I'm still discussing presentation.

[iiipopes]

In the spring of 1988 I was getting my then-recently-deceased grandmother's 1969 Mercury Montego ready to go out to my uncle's house for one of my cousins to drive. Being at the height of Miami Vice, a shop had opened up in town to sell exotic cars. I was in my jeans, of course running errands, cleaning the car, etc. I stopped to look. When I went in, you would have thought the place was haunted. Nobody came out from their back offices, of course. I looked around for awhile then went home. I changed into one of my court suits and ties, got out my E-type convertible, and drove back to the place. Of course, the moment I walked in they were all over me asking if they could show me something. I said no. I then proceeded to tell them that I was in earlier driving my deceased grandmother's car getting it ready to go, but they wouldn't give me the time of day. I told them that they would not be in business long acting like that, and I left. Between six and eight months later they were out of business.

Yes, presentation matters. From both directions. That why not only with tuba, but I also make sure I am versed in what is expected by the conductor/band leader as concert/gig attire for each of the separate ensembles, and each of the performances of each of those ensembles in different contexts, whether aloha shirt and jeans to tuxedo, or anything in between. My philosophy is to be so properly dressed in context that, playing (literally) a supporting role, I am not noticed. If I were a soloist, the same would apply. For example, I always made sure I was dressed so that a jury would listen to what I was saying and was not thinking about my shirt/tie combination.