Author Archives: Stephen Nutt

Memoir

I’m now at the end of my 10 day trip to València, Spain to attend the

2025 International Tuba Euphonium Conference.

It has been a spectacular event. I have had a smile on face all week!

Below is my memoir of that event.

I left a week ago Sunday, in the evening on Iberia Airlines. It was an 11 hour, overnight direct flight to Madrid. I always have trouble sleeping on a plane but this on was especially aggravated by a (nice) little girl next to me who moved constantly in her sleep, kicking me every time. The Madrid Airport was one of the worst I nave ever experienced. Huge crowds and long lines everywhere, confusing signs and going through customs. My commuter line connection was what seems miles on the end of the airport. Even my boarding pass had the wrong gate...

1985-2016

Here are a few of my adventures as a pilot. Many of the stories involved dangerous or stupid things I did—and learned from!

Flying was my escape from the paranoia of the studio business. When flying your complete attention is on flying the plane. There is no time to worry about all the other bullshit.

Flying has been a wonderful hobby for me. It is challenging, relaxing, an escape, and has given me a whole new perspective of the U.S.  I wish I had made notes all along the way but didn’t and so, is this my attempt to recount my many experiences, good and bad, stupid and smart and try to express my feelings about this important part of my life.

To begin with, I consider myself fortunate to be able to afford flying–although it is cheaper than many spend for ot...

 7:30 PM Monday, March 4

 University of Southern California, Ramo Hall

Concert Review by Beth Chouinard Mitchell

The “Swan Song” Concert

What kind of tuba player doesn’t know the name Jim Self?

50 years ago, Jim Self was rising to prominence as a Los Angeles free-lance musician.  Many years later, he is a veteran of thousands of motion pictures, television shows, records, and tuba soloist on many prominent movies. He is Principal Tubist with the Pasadena and Pacific Symphonies, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra. His compositions and arrangements include works for solo tuba, brass quintet, other brass and woodwind chamber music, symphony orchestra, and more...

October 2023

I have just finished one of the happiest and most rewarding periods of my life. It began with a week visit by my younger brother Joe and ended last night with a super concert and tribute to me at USC.

For several years Joe and I would find a few days to “hang” together. He would either come to L.A. and San Luis Obispo with me or I would spend a few days with him in Alabama or New Orleans–but COVID interrupted the last several years and we had a lot to catch up with. Joe is a super nice man who had a successful career in business and retired in Fairhope, AL. The politics and state of America and the world in the last 8 years have been tough on both Joe and me. We are in agreement that the U.S. works best when governed from the “broad” middle...

by Jim Self

Today I just finished a week of playing Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben. It was the opening week of the Pacific Symphony’s 45th season. The conductor was Carl St. Clair and we did four performances. The 48 minute work, conducted from memory by Carl, has become a staple and signature piece of orchestra’s repertoire. In 2008 the orchestra did its 1^st European Tour and we played it in 9 cities including Cologne, Munich and Vienna. We were all astounded by the standing ovations and great reviews we got everywhere. It’s a tough job for a young American orchestra to get those kudos in Germany and Austria playing THEIR masterpieces—but we did.

All this week the emotions of Ein Heldenleben had me waxing nostalgically about my inner feelings of being a symphony musician and de...

A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his wife are continuing their long-time support for students studying brass at IUP. IUP Now Article

Internationally known tubist Jim Self, a 1965 graduate and 2003 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, and his wife, Jamie Self, have made a gift to establish the Jim and Jamie Self Brass Scholarship, which provides scholarship support to students enrolled at IUP who are pursuing a major or minor offered by the Department of Music with a concentration in brass.

Previously, Self and his wife, Jamie, made gifts to establish the Legacy Brass Quintet, the honors student brass quintet, and the Jim and Jamie Self Tuba Scholarship...

Podcast Interview with Jim Self on Episode 24 of “A Song Called Life” with Osi Atikpoh

Personal Memories by Jim Self

I had a 60 year relationship with the late, great Roger Bobo. Many words have been written about his life and extraordinary career — including Steve Oberheu’s book of his life, “Pirate Songs and Love Songs”.  So, not to repeat that stuff, I will try to relate my personal moments, feelings, opinions and experiences with him.

My first knowledge of Roger was in the late 60’s, when I heard his 1^st Solo album “Roger Bobo Plays the Tuba“.  It blew me away! I was studying with Harvey Phillips in New York then. Harvey was the most prominent tuba soloist in the world at the time. Then Roger shook up the tuba world. That LP stretched the tuba technique, range and energy level to its extremes...

   A Memoir

This is my 4^th travel memoir this year. Each one required music performance and teaching. After 2 ½ years of COVID I am making up for lost time. 

The Amigos met up a Newark Airport for our flight to Lisbon. A glitch in the plane made us 4 hours late—but we did go that night. 

For several years now Portuguese tuba virtuoso Sergio Carolino has hosted a low brass festival/academy called Gravissimo in his hometown of Alcobaca.  He has often invited me to be a guest artist but, because it was held in late August, it always conflicted with the beginning of the Los Angeles Opera season—and I was unable to participate. This year he scheduled it in late July...

A Memoir

This week I travelled to Washington, DC to play in the Alumni Band celebrating 100th Anniversary of The United States Army Band. For many of the recent years they have had alumni bands, but I was never able to make it due to work conflicts. But the 100th only happens once and I was able to go. It was especially encouraging to know that Dan Perantoni and Chester Schmitz would be there too. We were in the concert band together in the mid 60’s, during the Viet Nam War. 

I graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 3 1/2 years in January 1965 with a Music Education degree. But mid-year there were no decent jobs available. Just by chance I went to a TUSAB concert in Harrisburg...

Pennsylvania 2022 

Memoir

I just finished one of the most rewarding weeks of my life in southwestern Pennsylvania. I was invited to be an Artist in Residence at my alma mater, Indiana University of Pennsylvania — more than two years ago. It was postponed twice due to Covid but finally happened this week. I am from the area and am a Distinguished Alumnus of the school. Because I had a relationship with the River City Brass Band in Pittsburgh and its conductor, James Gourlay, I made an agreement with them to do professional audio/video recordings of two of my challenging compositions for Brass Band, “Tour de Force” and “Flying Circus”. I think the RCBB is one of the finest in the world and have special understanding of my complex rhythmic music...