handling contracted gigs which must involve reading at sight

[bloke]

These are some things for the youngsters (college students, etc.) to consider...


ex: Sunday church services...contractor on the phone: "I'm hiring a brass quintet and a string quartet for two services and a rehearsal"
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- scenario: minimum two-hour round trip to pick up the music, so nope to that
- this choir director (typically) doesn't send out PDF's
- "brass quintet" = wild card (bass trombone parts...??, 2nd trombone parts...??, easy-schmeazy bass line (contrabass tuba) tuba parts...??, busy (possibly bass tuba) tuba parts...?? Robert King Renaissance - ie. sometimes, best on euphonium - arrangements...??)

obvious things to do:
rehearsal: bring TWO tubas (ok...IF at least two are owned), show up early for the rehearsal, look at the tunes, and unpack the best one for the job
Sunday: bring the appropriate tuba (or additional instruments, if more than one piece of equipment would do the job better - and assuming there's physically room for more than on instrument...and keeping in mind what percussionists are expected to bring)
after the rehearsal: LEAVE THE MUSIC ON THE STAND at the gig site. NEVER risk forgetting to bring the music to the performance/services. Take PHONE PICS of any chart(s) that may be challenging and could use home review.

- NEVER contact the music director / choir director directly (neither by phone/text/email), nor ask for special favors (such as scanning emailing PDF's - when no one else is getting them)
- don't be dumb enough to ask the contractor, "Which tuba should I bring?"
- if no rehearsal, and if multiple instruments are available: bring them, if possible