Posted by Roger Lewis on August 30, 1999 at 20:27:43:
In Reply to: Various Tuba stuff... posted by Chuck D. on August 29, 1999 at 00:04:21:
Okay -
1. Sensemaya - get a score, a full part and several recordings. Break it down; work on it with a metronome. It isn't called the Mexican Rite of Spring for being a walk in the park. Look at who you'll be playing with and learn what happens right before each entrance. Good luck.
Meistersinger - whatever horn or combination of horns meets your concept of the part (or the conductor's when he/she has a preference). Nothing else really matters.
I'll skip the rest of these because I don;t know the Houser mouthpieces, I've heard OF the Rochut accompaniments but have not experienced them; and the only mouthpiece to use on a B&S F (IMHO) is anyone that has a Yamaha F tuba on the other endo of it.
As to your embouchure - do you play a front action horn or an upright action horn? I have found with my students that "embouchure drifting" is usually the result of the visual centers of the brain re-adjusting the body to see the parts better. Usually (but not always) going to the right would be more likely to happen to a top action player. It is quite possible that the horn ios being held in such a way as to partially block the view of the part, the conductor, the concertmaster, etc. and the brain is doing what it needs to to improve the "picture". Be aware of this potential and evaluate it against your current posture and see if there is any correlation.
My best to you and I hope it all works out.
Roger Lewis