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I'm pretty optimistic about things opening up during the summer. We have a 4th of July Marching band at a local parade in Truckee and I'm really hoping we're good to go this year. It's been interesting looking at the criteria for vaccinating in all of the states. One of the thoughts I had recently is that people who are in professions where they are getting exposed to other people who can't wear masks (e.g. restaurant servers, people who work in bars), would be a priority group.

FWIW- the mask with a hole in it that I'm seeing some people have to wear while they are playing is something that has me scratching my head. It's about appearance at that point and not public health.

MN_TimTuba wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 10:03 am In my neck of the woods (between Duluth and Fargo) I know the community band that rehearses at Central Lakes College in Brainerd is starting already. They require bell covers (but not for tubas and F Horns) and masks. I've been asked, but am electing not to play there. Haven't heard re: the Park Rapids band; the Detroit Lakes band will begin sometime soon, no date has been announced. The Bemidji Orchestra and the Heartland Symphony (I have subbed with them) are going.
The best news is our little Dixieland band will meet a time or 3 in May and we have summer outdoor performances booked in June and August, certainly hoping for more.
*** On a separate but related note, have any of you declined to play with a group because of the conductor? A certain professional I have played with picks enjoyable and challenging music and the band is pretty good; however, his personality, presentation, and style take all the joy out of the experience for me, and after 6 months I've decided that I can't stand it and will not participate. It's too bad, because the guy keeps asking me to join and says good and appreciative things about my playing, but it's the first group where I find myself constantly watching the clock to see when I can get outta' there. End of rant.
Tim

Good to hear!

Conductors -- short version -- yes. Have definitely quit a group because the director wasn't someone I wanted to play for. Many years ago, I played with a group and the director was an elementary band director. So that community band was run, rehearsed, and felt like... an elementary school band. A very clique-y group, so I think it was as much a reason to gather and socialize for them as anything else... but all around, it just wasn't fun for me, I didn't really like the people either, so I stopped going. I called it the "groundhog's day band," because seriously, every rehearsal was exactly the same. Time to move on!

Conversely, groups I've played with where the director was kind of a jerk, or at the least, not trying to be anyone's friend... I don't mind that. Much like political leaders, coaches, CEOs, or even to some extent parents... they aren't there to be our friends. They are there to lead and do the hard work, and push us to be better. Not to demean or emotionally abuse anyone. But to be demanding and to constantly expect more. And to not be overly complimentary, overflowing with trite kind words, or "everyone gets a trophy." But if they cut off the group, single me out, and say "hey bort2.0, that's way out of tune, too loud, the wrong note, and actually that's a rest... so come on and pay attention"... I'll take that for what it's worth and know that I probably deserved it.

Best example, Harvey Phillips cutting off an entire TubaChristmas rehearsal of 200+ people when I played through a rest, and yelling at me "Pay attention, dammit!" Yes, I deserved it. My friend and I were joking around while he was talking to the group about the Sousaphone being one of two instruments named after a person. I said that #2 was the bass clarinet, named after Jean-luc d'Bass Clarinet. Which as a 17-year old, was clearly the funniest thing I've ever heard of.

If you are going to get yelled at, might as well make it from a historic figure! Makes a better story than getting yelled at by some rando

bort2.0 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 10:43 am
Best example, Harvey Phillips cutting off an entire TubaChristmas rehearsal of 200+ people when I played through a rest, and yelling at me "Pay attention, dammit!" Yes, I deserved it. My friend and I were joking around while he was talking to the group about the Sousaphone being one of two instruments named after a person. I said that #2 was the bass clarinet, named after Jean-luc d'Bass Clarinet. Which as a 17-year old, was clearly the funniest thing I've ever heard of.

Brett,
I sincerely hope you have a T-shirt that says, "I survived Harvey Phillips".

Tim

Carol Jantsch just posted this today....https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/playin ... rl-HkE2_AM

Or could do this.
(I can't find a way to delete the duplicate, .... whatever.)

Honestly, I still say what is needed is a simple breathalyzer tool that a person blows into before they are allowed in somewhere. If virus is there, no admittance. This eliminates all the temperature taking which means nothing and a bunch of other stuff that means nothing.

Oh, and if it's reading only, I'm happy, although I'd like it to be practiced until it's come together. I hate performing and always have. I only do it because they won't let me play in the group otherwise.

Mary Ann wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 2:35 pm Honestly, I still say what is needed is a simple breathalyzer tool that a person blows into before they are allowed in somewhere. If virus is there, no admittance. This eliminates all the temperature taking which means nothing and a bunch of other stuff that means nothing.

Oh, and if it's reading only, I'm happy, although I'd like it to be practiced until it's come together. I hate performing and always have. I only do it because they won't let me play in the group otherwise.

MaryAnn,
The breathalyzer thing would be wonderful!
RE: performance, I have the opposite issue, I love performing. It always bugged me that the basketball teams/coaches (and yes, I played, also wrestling and track), wrestlers, etc. "practice" every day and get to perform 1 to 4 times a week; whereas my bands (I'm a recovering HS band director) had to practice for months and get to perform once. I feel the same about the community bands I'm in - why have 12-15 rehearsals, then do a concert 2 or 3 days in a row and that's it??!
Tim

^Especially when the performance level peaks after rehearsal #3. If people would practice... Wouldn't need so many rehearsals. That's not where you learn your part. It's where you learn the music.

I don't know who has it worse here- the tuba player or the trombone player

Mary Ann wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 2:33 pm Or could do this.
(I can't find a way to delete the duplicate, .... whatever.)

Valve trombones just got popular again

My Freeway Philharmonic gig (mostly people from Memphis and Nashville meeting in a smaller city halfway in between) has been doing one rehearsal concerts this year, though expanding to more like the regular season beginning in December.
The routine was to do a rehearsal which only allowed for one run through of each piece, and do two 1-hour concerts the same night at 6 o’clock and 8 o’clock - with a one hour break.
One of those concerts premiered a fairly long overture (with several contrasting sections and transitions), and then the complete Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony...per the fall routine: only one run-through of each, in the rehearsal.

bloke wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 7:31 pm My Freeway Philharmonic gig (mostly people from Memphis and Nashville meeting in a smaller city halfway in between)

Over here, many musicians work regularly in Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, and everywhere in between. They refer to it as the Florida Interstate Symphony.

Just got a feed on Canadian Brass performing in JAX FL.

If there are any musicians left in NY or CA, it should be obvious by now that you need to be in TN, TX or FL where you will be appreciated.

Three Valves wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 7:18 am Just got a feed on Canadian Brass performing in JAX FL.

If there are any musicians left in NY or CA, it should be obvious by now that you need to be in TN, TX or FL where you will be appreciated.

I think we need a running list of all Community Bands in those states you all belong to or have heard that are open at least with little to no restrictions that are playing again so the community of tubists' at large knows where to go. If things don't fix here by the fall I just may..already lived in Texas but didn't play at all there. Florida seems great, just...Hurricanes suck.

KingTuba1241X wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 7:54 am Florida seems great, just...Hurricanes suck.

And the bugs.

And the gators.

My county/state is locked up tighter than a drum.

But Maryland isn't renown for music.

Three Valves wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 9:29 am

KingTuba1241X wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 7:54 am Florida seems great, just...Hurricanes suck.

And the bugs.

And the gators.

My county/state is locked up tighter than a drum.

But Maryland isn't renown for music.

I'd imagine in the more urban areas there aren't many gators and bugs yeah? Texas is the same way, the critters love country living.

I'll just say this:

Gator tail is delicious.

For some reason, farmed gator tail is underwhelming, though. If a chain/tourist trap restaurant serves it, it ain't worth the breading they decided to ruin it with.

"Farm raised Gator" seems as ridiculous as "farm raised deer" or "farm raised squirrel"

"Farm raised oyster" are OK with me though, especially the .50/ea. variety!!

BopEuph wrote: ↑Thu Mar 18, 2021 10:17 am I'll just say this:

Gator tail is delicious.

For some reason, farmed gator tail is underwhelming, though. If a chain/tourist trap restaurant serves it, it ain't worth the breading they decided to ruin it with.

Farmed gator is awful for the same reason every other farmed thing is awful....it is not eating its natural wild, pure diet. It is being fed chemicalized crap. And then when you eat the farmed thing, you are ingesting that same chemicalized crap and of course it tastes awful; I do everything in my power to avoid that, myself. Not being able to go live in wild Alaska I'm stuck with the best I can find.