Euphonium-Tuba Festival

[massmanute]

I've seen several posts in the forum that are highly recommending the Euphonium-Tuba Festival organized by Adam Frey and held in Atlanta. What type of players is it geared to?

As I have noted in recent posts, I am just getting back into playing euphonium after a 54 year hiatus, so I am currently playing at a rather low level. I have started taking lessons from a trombone/euphonium professor at a local university. I am retired, so I am not in a high income bracket, but I could probably handle the cost of the festival if I become convinced that the benefit might be high enough to be worth it to me.

Any thoughts/perspectives on the festival for someone in my situation?

Thanks.

[DaveBj]

I went 5 times as a senior adult amateur. I would advise you to sign up and GO! You'll return home exhausted, but a much better player.

[davewerden]

As David said, it is very comfortable for players of all ages and skill levels. I think you would be glad to be there if you so choose.

[massmanute]

Thanks for the comments. If I decide to go, what is the best way to transport my euphonium half way across the country? (More than half way actually.)

[DaveBj]

I'll leave that for others to answer; others who fly frequently with their horns can tell you better than I can. I'm less than 200 miles away; I always drive.

[highpitch]

I'll leave that for others to answer; others who fly frequently with their horns can tell you better than I can. I'm less than 200 miles away; I always drive.

We drive, refusing to submit to the insults of the TSA.

DDG

[massmanute]

I would drive if I could, but it would not be practical for me to drive ~1900 miles to Atlanta. Are there any other thoughts?

[davewerden]

I have managed to avoid flying with my horn for several years, but no doubt I'll need to at some point. I have a Bonna case I could check, and I have a Cronkhite gig bag I could try to carry on. Deciding will be a matter of determining the aircraft I'll likely get.

So far, it sound like TSA had been able to damage almost any horn in any case. I would suggest you look through this thread for starters:

http://www.dwerden.com/forum/forumdi...-and-Your-Horn

[John Morgan]

I would take the train, sail or walk before putting my horn on any airplane. But that is just me, and I am particularly odd.

[DaveBj]

. . . and I am particularly odd.

I would have used the word "smart".

[massmanute]

The train sounds like an interesting possibility, so I looked up some information about it. Travel by Amtrack takes about 75 hours to go from my location to Atlanta. That would add up to almost a week on the train, counting the round trip time. That's not too appealing, though it is a possibility.

What about the idea of shipping the horn (well-packed of course) by Fed-Ex and meeting the horn in Atlanta?

[massmanute]

Also, I just checked travel by bus. It's actually faster than Amtrak by about 30 hours, and one third of the price, but I don't know about safety of the horn on a bus ride, and riding the bus is just no fun at all.

I wonder if Amtrak has sleeping cars on this route. (Actually, it's two routes, because it requires requires a connection in Chicago.)

[dsurkin]

Here's a less-than-ideal suggestion (I got the idea from the way some gigs were booked back in my pro-keyboard days): fly by plane with your mouthpiece, having arranged to rent a horn locally.

Pros: the cost will be comparable to, or less than, the cost of shipping your horn, or the repairs to your horn after flying; and travel time will be manageable.

Con: even if you're lucky enough to rent a horn of the same model as yours, you'll still be playing on a strange horn with the inevitable differences in manufacture, maintenance, and overall condition.

I got used to this forty years ago because the grand piano was whatever the hall provided. Sometimes a venue would have a Hammond, once it even had a Rhodes so I left mine sitting in my station wagon (and I regretted it, because there was a key with a broken tine).

[massmanute]

Here's a less-than-ideal suggestion (I got the idea from the way some gigs were booked back in my pro-keyboard days): fly by plane with your mouthpiece, having arranged to rent a horn locally.

Pros: the cost will be comparable to, or less than, the cost of shipping your horn, or the repairs to your horn after flying; and travel time will be manageable.

Con: even if you're lucky enough to rent a horn of the same model as yours, you'll still be playing on a strange horn with the inevitable differences in manufacture, maintenance, and overall condition....

Carrying the mouthpiece and renting the horn sounds like a good idea, if a horn can be rented locally.

[DaveBj]

Go right to the boss -- email Adam Frey and ask him about local rentals.