TBJ111: Tim Buzbee
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TBJ111: Tim Buzbee on learning The Furies overnight, winning gigs in 8 countries and being put in a piece of metal
Tim Buzbee, Principal Tubist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, knows he would probably be flipping burgers if not for the help of teachers Ed Jones, Gene Pokorny, and Matt Good.
Tim Buzbee has been the Principal Tubist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2010. Tim grew up in Queen City, Texas and knows he would probably be flipping burgers if not for the help of teachers Ed Jones, Gene Pokorny, and Matt Good. He has performed as guest tubist with many orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Danish Radio Orchestra, Swedish Radio Orchestra, Dallas Wind Symphony, Malaysia Philharmonic, and the Helsingborg Symphony.
As a soloist, he has performed with the Iceland Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Acapulco Symphony, Marshall Symphony and the “Pershing Own” Army Band in Washington D.C and currently has two solo CDs on the Albany Record label. Before taking his position at the MSO he held the Principal Tuba position at the Iceland Symphony, Chicago Civic Orchestra, Acapulco Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, Gavle Symphony, and the Malmo Symphony.
In this fun and lively discussion, we cover:
Has won gigs in 8 different countries
Calling us from Australia in the middle of the night
Originally from Queen City TX (pop. 1,600)
Started on country fiddle, taking after his grandfather, later moved on to the bass guitar
Switched to euphonium and later was drawn to the tuba
Didn't take it seriously until mid-way through his undergrad
Being put in a piece of metal
Was going to work on a fishing boat in Alaska
Pantless Mahler 6 leading to a breaking and entering incident (and the launch of his career path)
Studying with Ed Jones
Learning the Three Furies 3rd movement in one night
The influence of Gene Pokorny
Making the simple beautiful
Having to play catch up
Studying with Matt Good and Dave Kirk
Winning a few gigs before moving on to study with Gene Pokorny
Ed provided the foundation of fundamentals, Matt helped him understand what to do with the sound and Gene helped him build a musical product he could sell
Leaving a busy career in Chicago to go to Singapore
Following his own path
Singapore was too crowded for him so he moved on to Sweden
The differences in playing in those orchestras
Adding Iceland Symphony to the mix for a year
Tim's wife, Jessica (who he met while she was Principal Trombone in the same Swedish orchestra) also won a gig in Iceland and they eventually moved there
Having five kids
Flying with a tuba (hilarity and bent metal)
Audition strategy, switching from being physically prepared to be mentally prepared
Tim's forthcoming (hypothetical) book"The Death of American Brass Playing Due to the 3 T's (Tone, Time, Tuning)"
How do I make an emotional connection with a listener?
The 3 T's are too procedural and disconnect the player from the listener
Running mental audition processes ahead of auditions, changing the variables each time, always simulation culminating with him being announced as a winner
Every audition system is flawed in some way so you have to find a process to allow you to succeed in any situation
The influence of the book, "Unleash the Warrior Within" by Richard Machowicz
Mental toughness
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Expertly produced by Will Houchin with love, care, and enthusiasm.
