Posted by Mike Forbes on March 27, 2002 at 21:17:58:
Hello all,
I realize that many of you might be holding out 'til the last minute to mail in your audition tapes for our tuba opening, but please consider the following:
1) The post-mark due date for application materials is March 31st (4 days from now) and that date is a Sunday (Easter), so you'd really better make it March 30th (THIS SATURDAY!)
2) That date is coming up VERY quickly.
3) Do not feel like you must lay something down today or tomorrow, but rather think long and hard about any great recordings you have of yourself that you might lift from one of your live recital recordings. (Chipped notes are somewhat more "looked over" on LIVE tapes/CD's).
4) Last but not least, I am here to tell you all now that the turn-out so far for this audition has NOT been overwhelming. It could be that people are waiting for the last minute to get their tape in, but as of now we have received very few audition packets. Are people afraid of playing the Sousaphone for a living? (There's more to this job than that, I assure you). Are people afraid of embarking on a professional playing career while getting their loans paid off? :-) Or is it that everyone is simply putting all of their eggs in the San Francisco Symphony basket? (Happy Easter!!) Perhaps there is some fright about joining the Armed Services during "America's New War." More seriously, maybe it's that this vacancy has simply not been announced very well. Let me know if that is the case so that we can improve on getting the word out next time around.
I encourage all of you that are interested to apply ASAP! And please help spread the word to those out there who you feel might also be interested and simply haven't heard anything about it. I've included the link to our webpage below that helps clarify the announcement.
Best of luck to all of you,
Mike Forbes
Tubist, U.S. Army Band, "Pershing's Own"