[Dixielandjazz] (no subject)

Shortuba at aol.com Shortuba at aol.com
Wed Jul 2 01:15:09 PDT 2003


Hello, all -

I'm new to the list (just subscribed this week) but have played jazz gigs for 
over 30 years.  I saw the request for bios, and I'll try not to make this a 
long one.

I was born and raised in Fort Dodge, Iowa, which wouldn't be important, but 
the band leader of our community band for 50 years was THE march composer, Karl 
L. King.  While in high school, I was privileged to play tuba for Mr. King.  
Spending seven years in that band was an education in itself.

A local banjo player took a chance on a young kid who had only heard of "Bill 
Bailey" and "Saints", and I found that I had enough of an ear to figure out a 
bass line.  I played with the Dixie Kings there while I went to school at the 
University of Northern Iowa, eventually getting a bachelor's and master's 
degree in performance.  While there, I played bass trombone in one of the top 
college jazz bands in the country and played in the first Cedar Basin Jazz 
Festival and a few of the first Bix fests in Davenport.

I started running in to Chicago to study tuba with Arnold Jacobs, the Chicago 
Symphony Orchestra tubist, who encouraged me to continue with the jazz gigs.  
I moved to Chicago to continue studying with Mr. Jacobs and played with the 
West End Jazz Band, helped found (and continue to play with) the Red Rose 
Ragtime Band as well as some local orchestras and brass quintets and even the band 
at Wrigley Field when the great Mike Walbridge needed a sub (which was not 
often enough!:))

17 years ago my wife and I decided that we wanted to raise our kids in Iowa, 
and moved to Des Moines thinking my career was over (and maybe it is and I 
haven't noticed!).  After a stint at a local music store, I started teaching, and 
stepped up the playing.  I do about 180 - 200 services locally, including 
orchestras, big bands, Broadway shows, and dixie bands, including the Cubbies' 
AAA ball team here (I tell people I got busted to the minor leagues). I teach an 
adjunct position at the local college, Drake University and have been a guest 
professor at Iowa State University on tuba and trombone. I'm still active on 
tuba, bass trombone and tenor trombone, and my students monopolize the All - 
State spots available here.  I also have for the last nine years been a music 
reviewer for the ITEA Journal, the publication of the International Tuba 
-Euphonium Association.

The signature below is MUCH to formal and pretentious (I go by Mike) but it 
shows what I'm up to.  And, no, I have not found any proof that I'm related to 
Bob Short.  I wish I were, I might have more talent then.

Thanks for your patience - send in bios if you haven't yet!

Michael Short
Teaching Artist of Low Brass
Drake University
Principal Tuba
Des Moines Metro Opera
Waterloo/Cedar Falls Symphony 
Des Moines Symphony Brass Quintet


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