Posted by Which end on May 05, 2002 at 18:49:07:
O K now, boys and girls!
This is it directly from the horses "one end or the other" depending on your perspective.
I am the former bass trombonist with the ASO. and this is MY PERSONAL view about the situation.
I was told by a tubist friend (who referred me to this site) that the tubists of the world were drawing up sides and about to go to war with each other over this stinking mess! I always heard tuba players of the world were the jovial friendly types! Geeee Whizzakers!
Now, where were we??
The ASO is a very good orchestra. People who came to play with us or hear us always said they were surprised that it was such a good orchestra. However, this orchestra has a serious potentially lethal infestation.
The reputation of Richard Westerfield is slowly oooozing around the world.
He is known to have fired a LOT of people when he was Music Director of the Harrisburg (PA) Sym. Just call someone at symphonic services at the Natnl. HQ of the AFM in NY.and ask if this is true.
They won't lie to you.
West. picks loners or those who are vulnerable in some way, regardless of their playing ability.
Then he finds those who have their own "agenda", especially if it involves those he's targeting.
Having said this, I don't want to discourage anyone from coming to the ASO tuba audition. In fact I encourage everyone to come. Just be prepared. The lone tubist who showed up for the local audition was given a list in advance and when he got there, they had a different list, according to someone (ahem!)who was there. I don't think this will happen again. The audition committee is quite intolerant in auditions and the last thing you want to do is "impress" these people. I've been on the aud commmittee lots of times. Just come in, play great and give these guys a bad headache!
Also, my latest info is that the Principal Trombonist will NOT be on the aud committee since he doesn't have tenure yet. I'M NOT KIDDING!!!
The final round in the past has been playing with the "non existant" brass quintet. WOW what an appropriate name!
Now that the q-tet has popped up, that was the real reason the "boys" didn't stand up for me. Since certain of the "boys" carry a grudge against the tubist who was our "regular" for years, they only use him if nobody else will come. The tubist who did a lot of q-tet stuff with them has left town. SOOO they need a tuba player. hmmmm who don't we like?
I left the q-tet 20 years ago because there was no conversation that didn't cut someone or something to shreds. In one instance, one of them got in a shoving match with a schl principal in front of his school, and it was our guy's fault we were late.
That kind of stuff happens a lot here. If I said anything, it was either a lie, just my opinion, or stupid. When I told them to knock it off, my troubles began.
I'll use the term "local" for my so-called union here. This is the kind of union that gave unions a bad name back in the Teamsters days.
The local REFUSED to make management adhere to both the Local and ASO contracts, and would always wind up screaming that I was accusing him of not doing his job, or what he liked to call, "threats". Wanna hear one of my tapes? :}
Once the "appeal committee" was picked out, I asked that he, local-man, not be on it.
He and his wife were both on it. Of course since he controlled the orchestra committee wimps, I was denied. From then on, there were lots of very friendly conversations between the local-guys and members of the app cmte. The Mus Dir did the same thing. The National Union ofc in NY was contacted, and they said he shouldn't be on the app cmte. But he became Chairman of that committee. The committee NEVER discussed the allegations of the Music Dictator (or whatever) against me. That's required in the contract!
Also, besides the 2 unknown people who counted the votes and local-man (He appointed these 2) nobody else has or can see the vote. hmmmmmmm.... After they canned me, Local threatened them not to tell anyone anything that happened or was said in that mtg.
I called a mtg of the ASO cmte to read my grievance, local-man DISMISSED the meeting as soon as I got started, saying I had "turned this into a personal attack".
Those tapes are REALLY interesting! XXX full of cursing, local calling me M..F.. nicely into one of the microphones. (that's legal in Ala)
One of them tried to start a fight with me...LITERALLY and that's when I resigned.
I could have stayed another year and a half, during which this would have been overturned. Ain't no doubt about that. I'd rather starve than die at the hands of these guys, and since I take Coumadin, one good bang is all it would take.
By the way, Wester NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, not even once, asked me to do anything any differently or said anything to me in or out of the orchestra since June of the year before alll this. Wasn't that his job if I sucked on my horn?
Also, the Prin. Tbonist has never been so much as asked a question about my playing or any of this stuff.
Bill Gates is right, tho. LIFE AIN'T FAIR! GIT USED TO IT!
I play with a much better class of people now. I have to say that the orchestra does have a lot of very nice people who would also have gotten canned if they had stuck out their necks or otherwise dared to contradict the "boys".
Please don't send me any "stupid" e-mails about this. Take it or leave it, that's my version.
Wm. Newell Sheridan