Posted by Phil on August 01, 2003 at 13:22:44:
In Reply to: Re: tuba playaz in Pheonix, AZ posted by Mary Ann on August 01, 2003 at 09:52:47:
Amen to that. I was a fairly active amateur in Tucson during my grad school years (1991-1998), and while I was not particularly looking for paying gigs, I couldn't help noticing that I never even HEARD about any (I got my first paying gigs only after moving to the Monterey CA area in 1999). I do remember one time, though, about 1998, when I walked into the Fry's on the corner of Grant/Alvernon, and was surprised to hear a little German-style brass band playing as part of a promotion of a new line of German pastries, or something, and was shocked to see that the tuba player was none other than the string-bass player from the Tucson Civic Orchestra, in which I also played at the time. I knew him fairly well, and never once heard him mention that he also played tuba. Of course, the thought that it was a PAYING gig never entered my amateur-focused mind; I just remembered thinking, "that dirty so-and-so, stealing a chance to play from a REAL tuba player! Why didn't he ask me last rehearsal if I wanted the gig?" I laugh now at my naivete and ignorance at the time, but you're right, the VERY FEW gigs in Tucson are jealously guarded by a few old-timers.