Posted by Cliff on July 15, 2001 at 21:56:00:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Should I use CC for Band? posted by Mark F. on July 15, 2001 at 18:07:13:
As a so-called "professional", I gues I gotta weigh in on this thread. Yeah, I admit it I am a HS band director, and yeah I'm a tuba player. I don't get wrapped up in what equipment is being used. I get into the sound(s) produced. If a trumpet player came to band with a C trumpet, or a clarinet player an A instrument, I wouldn't give one hoot. I'd be excited that they had a great instrument (assuming that a student would make these choices with the advice of their private teacher). But... if the same players were to start missing notes and key signatures, I would "suggest" that they use their other horn, until they felt more comfortable. Specifically to tuba, I am not great, but I can play in tune on a CC tuba (and have been reported to do so on occasion). I typically sound different on the 1885u mirafone, or the cerveny 683, or the 191 mirafone, or the yamaha 641, or the king 2341, or the sanders , or whatever. Do I get a good sound on all. Err.. good for me I guess. But my sound is different. Francis Macbeth says that we need to be in-TONE as well as in-TUNE. I don't know the specific situation being discussed, but maybe the director is worried about a tone difference which may create a blend, or a PERCEIVED intonation problem. Again to borrow from Macbeth, "You can't tune a bad sound" (that may not be verbatim). BAD SOUND could also be understoud as "radically different tone quality". Is your band director correct? My guess is that the differences in TONE which might exist within your HS tuba section are not as important as ensuring that each player get a good sound. So The director is probably worried for no reason. But his concerns are not completely without basis. I have found in my HS band that working on individual tone quality is more effective than trying to tune each note of each instrument. My apologies to the BBS for that wordy explanatin to say:
It sounds like you should play the CC (guard it with your life) You are probably an advanced enough player that you will sound good anyway.
Lastly, Here in the south where football is king, we have marching bands. You know, we "dance" around on the field while the crowd gets popcorn and waits for the "real" action to resume. Every student is expected to participate in marching band AT SOME LEVEL. Ideally, I'd love to have two concert bands and a jazz band which meet during the school day, and the marching band meets after school (and there are enough students so that none of these groups share personnel). But alas, I don't. There is only time, money, and personnel for one group at atime and my board of education demands that a marching band is that group. Maybe things will different one day, but not today!
Good Luck
Cliff Higgins