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Double Bass Alabama
- Thread starter bassiswhatilike
- Start date
200 something people dead. A number of communities are flattened. Most of Huntsville did not too bad, mostly the power problem that comes from having all 8 grid connections to the Huntsville Utilities distribution system cut. Tuscaloosa, home of University of Alabama, got hit real bad. The stadium and campus were not hit bad. Stadium was a staging area for a lot of relief. Even had a visitation by Charlie Sheen with a bunch of flashlights to donate. Very distressing to be without power and not be able to crank a bass rig for some time.
In other news, I think Birmingham did just fine and there will be an audition there tomorrow. Anyone else taking it?
Huntsville has a symphony. Don't know if it is a DB gig that pays that well. I would think Birmingham might do better, but who knows. When I've seen the orchestra it is all 4 strings with a few C extensions lurking. A number of the orchestra folks are augmenting by pulling jazz gigs and teaching.
I live in Huntsville. Not on the symphony, but it is a pretty good one for the size of the town. Carlos Miguel Prieto is conductor, moving on however.
Personnel has been pretty focused on getting guys and gals from larger market, at least in the principal positions.
Most of the local players have been in for a long time. They do supplement with teaching and side gigs. There are a few players that do double duty in Tupelo, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Mobile, Chatanooga, etc. A lot of the bassists play some jazz gigs. There aren't a ton to go around, luckily there aren't that many local upright players either.
If you're looking at Alabama for a musical home, and expect to make a living, be prepared to either teach a good deal, or travel around, from gig to gig, a good bit.
If you are referring to the tornado outbreak, it is very sad and to see the devastation in the hardest hit areas is mind boggling. Hope we never see another storm system like that again.
Personnel has been pretty focused on getting guys and gals from larger market, at least in the principal positions.
Most of the local players have been in for a long time. They do supplement with teaching and side gigs. There are a few players that do double duty in Tupelo, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa, Mobile, Chatanooga, etc. A lot of the bassists play some jazz gigs. There aren't a ton to go around, luckily there aren't that many local upright players either.
If you're looking at Alabama for a musical home, and expect to make a living, be prepared to either teach a good deal, or travel around, from gig to gig, a good bit.
If you are referring to the tornado outbreak, it is very sad and to see the devastation in the hardest hit areas is mind boggling. Hope we never see another storm system like that again.
??? Seriously, I think the OP was referring to the Alabama Symphony principal bass audition tomorrow, I guess I can't be 100% sure but I think that in the Auditions forum, we're here to read about that particularly. Good information above on the scene there though, I'm sure with the principal spot, a body could teach at UAB or something.
I am sure you are correct, but if my area is mentioned and it is an area that, honestly, rarely comes up in discussion among the national/semi-global classical music community represented here, I am going to take the opportunity to share. Maybe selfish and irrelevant, but natural to do so.
At least 26 people died from these storms around Birmingham. Many people have experienced loss, whether it's a loved one, a pet, damage to their home, etc. I have friends in Birmingham who are still in shock from these storms and they wouldn't say that Birmingham is fine.
