Re: National Symphony Orchestra of the Kennedy Center Principal Tubist

[tubanh84]

If ITEA wants to attract people to conventions, this would certainly be a way to do it. I'd watch that. Practice orchestral auditions are ok. I'd take "do it on a sousaphone" or "Vaughan Williams 2nd movement down to octaves." Let's make it weird.

Only if they have an open bar.

I don't see a reason why this can't be done on the stage AT the bar.

[russiantuba]

Any news from the audition?

[kharte_on_tuba]

Semis and finals later today. Since it’s quite the large audition names of people who advanced seem to have gotten around but please do not share their identities until the audition concludes later today. Good luck to everyone who has made it this far and may the best musician win!

[kharte_on_tuba]

Semis and finals later today. Since it’s quite the large audition names of people who advanced seem to have gotten around but please do not share their identities until the audition concludes later today. Good luck to everyone who has made it this far and may the best musician win!

[russiantuba]

Semis and finals later today. Since it’s quite the large audition names of people who advanced seem to have gotten around but please do not share their identities until the audition concludes later today. Good luck to everyone who has made it this far and may the best musician win!

I was given the names of some that are playing in semis (last time some were auto advanced from the records), and some great musicians. I wasn’t sure if a winner had been announced—though larger auditions frequently book multiple days, sometimes they condense it dow or run multiple rooms with two panels.

[bisontuba]

Seth Carter for the win....

[graybach]

Seth Carter for the win....

Aaron Tindall for the win, too. He has an insanely good track record of students winning major auditions lately.
His post on Instagram said that not only the winner, Seth Carter, but also the other two finalists for this audition,
Charley Pollard and Diego Stine, were all current or former students of his at The Colburn School and The University of Miami.
(From the way his post about Seth winning and his comment congratulating the other two finalists from his studios were worded, I could not tell if they were the only finalists or not. At the very least, three of the finalists in this audition were from his studios, though.)

[UncleBeer]

Aaron Tindall for the win, too. He has an insanely good track record of students winning major auditions lately.

Not just recently; the past few years as well. And still, ITEA refused him a slot at the Arizona conference.

I want T.U.B.A. back.

[russiantuba]

Aaron Tindall for the win, too. He has an insanely good track record of students winning major auditions lately.

Not just recently; the past few years as well. And still, ITEA refused him a slot at the Arizona conference.

I want T.U.B.A. back.

Pretty sure he judged the prelim rounds for that one and the one I attended and competed in ages ago, the judges for the mock military band gave good feedback, masterclasses were part. That slot proposal was a joint recital with Tim Buzbee. I know if I was someone lucky enough to advance in that competition and was on the circuit, I would want feedback from both of those guys.

[Diego A. Stine]

There were a total of 5 finalists in the audition, the three mentioned plus Derek Fenstermacher and Chrisjovan Masso. 20 musicians were in the semifinal round.

Seth Carter for the win....

Aaron Tindall for the win, too. He has an insanely good track record of students winning major auditions lately.
His post on Instagram said that not only the winner, Seth Carter, but also the other two finalists for this audition,
Charley Pollard and Diego Stine, were all current or former students of his at The Colburn School and The University of Miami.
(From the way his post about Seth winning and his comment congratulating the other two finalists from his studios were worded, I could not tell if they were the only finalists or not. At the very least, three of the finalists in this audition were from his studios, though.)

[AvrTuba]

I’m sure at the Chicago Symphony audition next year, a lot of the same people will make an appearance

[tubatodd]

I’m sure at the Chicago Symphony audition next year, a lot of the same people will make an appearance

I'm sorry. What????

[graybach]

There were a total of 5 finalists in the audition, the three mentioned plus Derek Fenstermacher and Chrisjovan Masso. 20 musicians were in the semifinal round.

Thanks for the clarification on the number and names of the finalists. Like someone said about the previous
National Symphony audition in an earlier comment on this thread, that list of current audition finalists, (and previous-audition semi-finalists and finalists, for that matter), is one of the reasons I never pursued tuba playing as a career.
I sat behind people in college who got beat by people on both lists in auditions and competitions.
The semi-finalists and finalists in both auditions are all
world-class musicians who could’ve more-than done the job.

I like how you worded it “musicians” instead of just
“tuba players,” which would’ve been fine, because, of course, that’s what we are.
It kind of jogged my memory about something that happened at the 1995 ITEC at Northwestern University, during which
Fritz Kaenzig played the John Williams Tuba Concerto at an outdoor venue with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, of which he was the principal tuba player.
The then-conductor of the Grant Park Symphony, introducing the John Williams, and Fritz Kaenzig, (who chose to play the entire concert after doing the John Williams on the first half of the concert) to the audience, said something to the effect of,
“…and tuba players, as well as musicians, will greatly appreciate this work…“
He immediately got a chorus of boos from the ITEC attendees in the audience.
I would like to think he meant
“…as well as OTHER musicians…,”
but that’s not what he said.

[bloke]

Principal players in the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) earn significantly more than the base salary, with top earners or principal positions often exceeding $170,000–$186,000+ annually based on recent contract negotiations. The NSO's 2024 contract raised the base salary for musicians to $165,268 in year one and $171,879 in year two, with principal players earning additional premiums.

Living in Arlington, Virginia, is expensive, with costs over 60% higher than the national average. A single person generally needs roughly $60,000–$80,000+ annually to live comfortably, while a family of four often requires over $114,000–$200,000+. Housing is the main driver, with rent for a two-bedroom apartment often exceeding $3,200–$3,700 per month.

bloke "neither a positive nor a negative comment...I'm always just a bit curious, in regards to these factors with these jobs."

[tubaing]

Living in Arlington, Virginia, is expensive, with costs over 60% higher than the national average. A single person generally needs roughly $60,000–$80,000+ annually to live comfortably, while a family of four often requires over $114,000–$200,000+. Housing is the main driver, with rent for a two-bedroom apartment often exceeding $3,200–$3,700 per month.

"Living in Calvert County, MD is more affordable than Arlington but still slightly above the national average. A single person typically needs about $45,000–$65,000+, while a family of four often needs $90,000–$140,000+.
Housing is the biggest cost, with two-bedroom rents around $1,800–$2,500/month, much lower than nearby Arlington. The tradeoff is higher transportation costs, as many residents commute to Washington, D.C.."

When I moved to "DC", I found there are safe places to live with good schools for about 60% the price of the fancy suburbs in VA.

[bort2.0]

"Cesspool on the Potomac"

[bisontuba]

"Cesspool on the Potomac"

Horrible comment...a beautiful, historical location...

[arpthark]

"Cesspool on the Potomac"

Horrible comment...a beautiful, historical location...

methinks Borty is making a Simpsons reference:

[bisontuba]

I knew there was a reason why I don't watch The Simpsons...rather watch PBS...

[sweaty]

"Cesspool on the Potomac"

Horrible comment...a beautiful, historical location...

Local yokel here. I had written about the DC area in a previous post:
https://tubaforum.net/viewtopic.php?p=35183#p35183

I think DC is a combination of what I, Lisa Simpson, and bisontuba all said. I also think that every city I've been to has its own complex mix of human achievement and sin.

The "fancy" VA suburb I grew up in, Herndon, was not particularly fancy. It was an old country town starting to become a suburb as the area grew. It was a combination of blue collar and government workers and contractors. In the late 70's, a number of refugees from Southeast Asia moved there escaping Communist turmoil and because it was cheaper and had job opportunities. In the 80's, Central Americans moved there for the same reason. In the 90's, it became a center for internet development. My high school boundaries included lakefront yuppies, Section 8 housing, and formerly rural areas starting to become high-end housing. It was "diverse" in every sense of the word. Our band director was an intense and demanding musician. We played The Melody Shop, Symphonie Fantastique, Scheherazade, Lincolnshire Posy, and many other great pieces I have forgotten by now.

Teaching in the same area, I taught in wealthy, middle class, and poorer areas. I taught kids from all around the world and kids with a wide range of abilities, character, special ed labels, and family backgrounds. I moved closer in for a more convenient drive to my schools. My sons' public schools had civil behavior, high achievement, and quality programs. There is real life going on around here well beyond the stories you see on the news, just like your own area.

Regarding the NSO job, I would gladly trade jobs with the man who won it. First, I need to learn how to play.