Jay Hunsberger is a member of our new companion website at AnythingArts.com. I have known Jay, socially, for about eight years. But even in a relatively small town like Sarasota, we have not crossed paths in the last seven years.

Jay is a professional musician with the Florida West Coast Symphony- now called Sarasota Orchestra. In fact, he’s the principal Tubist and also a professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of South Florida-Tampa. I asked Jay some questions- by email – perpetuating the fact we have not seen each other in person for so long. – Rick Hughes

AA: When did you come to Sarasota and was it for the FWCS?
JH: 1988 (oh my!) yes- I won an audition with the FWCS in May of 1987 right after graduating from IU.

AA: I understand you went to Indiana University?
JH: Yes- both my bachelor and masters are from IU/Bloomington in Music performance (tuba).

AA: At what age, and how, were you introduced to music and how did you decide on the tuba and euphonium?
JH: I started playing the tuba when I was in third grade. My elementary school had an excellent music program- this was in Wilmington, Delaware- and a great band. My three older brothers had gone through the band program and I believe that the band director and school principal said to themselves "whose parents are saints enough to tolerate a little kid learning the tuba? " (and all the hauling and lugging that goes with it!!!). But music- especially classical music- has always been a part of my life. Always playing in my parent’s house.

AA: Have any hobbies?
JH: Cooking (and eating!), fitness/working out/swimming (exercise), gardening, and just chillin'.....

AA: What is the best vacation you have ever had?
JH: Probably a surprise birthday trip to Turkey. Amazing country, great people.

AA: And, do you have a dream vacation?
JH: Lots of dreams....Sail the Greek Isles, see China, New Zealand, Galapagos Islands?

AA: Is there something that people don't usually understand about FWCS or musicians in general?
JH: I play a brass instrument (the tuba) and it has a very "athletic" and physical component to it- both in terms of the air it takes to play it (well) as well as the "embouchure" (this is the group of facial muscles that a brass player uses to create a vibration which produces sound). Brass players (like athletes) very much have to stay "in shape" with these sets of muscles; mostly you stay in shape by simply playing. Thus- it's imperative to have the horn to your face a given amount of time every day (for most of us this is at least a few hours). This makes long vacations or even a real "day off" in the middle of the season next to impossible! I'm not complaining- there are pros and cons to every vocation. It's just one of the quirks of brass playing. This ties into another misconception that some people have about musicians: we may only have to be "at work" for a two hour (or less) concert on a certain day- but that doesn't mean that that's all we do with our instrument that day. Again, most of us spend incredible amounts of time practicing alone and honing our craft. Similarly, many of us teach and freelance in addition to our orchestral duties.

AA: How do you feel about the arts in education and how do you feel it impacts the lives of students even if they don't end up professional musicians?
JH: This is a great question- but one that's tough to answer quickly and succinctly (for me). The role of arts in education- whether it’s participating in an arts idiom or using art to facilitate learning in other subjects- is vital to the success of education and to our culture/civilization. The impact on students can be absolutely amazing. The importance of this cannot be underestimated.

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