Posted by Matt G on December 11, 2001 at 07:45:02:
In Reply to: East Coast vs. West Coast? posted by Jon Brady on December 11, 2001 at 06:57:33:
Maybe they have to drive different directions to go to the beach in the summer.
Besides that I don't think that there is that much difference.
The east coast versus west coast "thing" is only really a way to stereotype and polarize players for no real reason. Nowadays, the average tuba player is many miles from home at there current playing position. Possibly the only real difference is that the "west coast" was very hip on Miraphones when they first hit the market, but not much else.
There used to be an attributable difference to the jazz feel in these areas, but that is fading also.
Modern "globilization" has change the way the USA has evolved quite a bit.
A better discussion would be European versus North American tuba playing concepts, but that is rapidly changing also. For proof of this listen to the clip of the new "Fafner" BBb that Meinl Weston is now starting to produce. It looks like a standard "German" style horn but is sounding very Yorkish. Not only that, but the companies making the closest copies of old American style horns are mostly in Europe.
This change is great because all of us can learn new and useful concepts from many players in many countries. Tools like this BBS in many ways eliminate the ideas behind a separation of playing styles.
Overall, the main difference between playing style is the style of horns people choose to express themselves on.
Matt G