how well do repairmen play?


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Posted by Scott Norberg on February 23, 2003 at 16:52:15:

As a student at a band instrument repair school, I'm going to give up my dream of being a professional player (at least for now) and start focusing on repair. I'm coming upon hard times so I'm in the process of selling my instruments, but I'm wondering what to replace them with. I'd like to think I'm a pretty good tuba/euph player; I probably could get my master's in performance at some decent (but probably not the top) school on either tuba or euphonium. But most repair techs don't repair many tubas or euphoniums, so I'm trying to decide if I should pick up another instrument. I can get a pretty decent sound out of all the major band instruments and can play a chromatic scale through the entire range of each instrument, etc., so play-testing isn't really an issue. What I am wondering about is, could I get more gigs if I were at almost a professional level on tuba and euphonium or if I were competent on tuba, euphonium, plus a woodwind or two? (The woodwind double would either be flute or oboe; I like flute and I wouldn't have a problem changing my air too much to play it, but there are probably less good oboe players and/or repair there. I do have access to an oboe, and flutes are pretty cheap, so cost of the instrument isn't a factor.) How much do I gain as a repairman by learning a woodwind to the point where I could feel comfortable in most college undergraduate studios? Keep in mind that I went straight from high school to undergraduate school to repair school, so I have no idea what's out there for someone with a full-time job who wants to gig on the side. (Yeah, I suppose it depends on the area.) Does anyone have any insight they would like to share?

Thanks,
Scott


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