Posted by Klaus on August 01, 2001 at 09:53:54:
In Reply to: Re: A day with Brian posted by Brian Frederiksen on August 01, 2001 at 07:56:19:
In my opinion it would be a great pity, if the collection of Mr Jacobs' mouthpieces would be "spredt for alle vinde" (distributed/spread by all of winds) as a saying goes in a language common to me and to Brians’s family of a previous generation.
Some present day mouthpiecesmakers are said, sometimes by themselves, to work from parameters derived from strictly scientifical researches.
My opinion about mouthpiecemaking is, that it still goes by plain old trial and error. And will continue to do so, as the human side of the tuba/mouthpiece/player set-up is produced and selected the oldfashioned way. Which has science as its least factor.
Yet history is a factor in all sorts of developments. And history has to be documented to transcend the stages of myths.
Hence I would find it sad if the collection of Mr Jacobs' mouthpieces was auctioned off to end up as boosters of a number of personal tubaegos. Without any guarantee to actually improve any individuals’ tubaplaying beyond shortspanned periods of placebo effects.
I would find it much more appropriate, if a well funded US institution with tuba/brass research and/or education on its agenda gave a fair offer to Mr Jacobs' son to buy all of this collection. Part of the offer being that this collection in a very official way would act as a more material factor in the upkeeping of his father’s fame.
Transcending any borderline of foreignship
Klaus