Interview: Carol Jantsch, Tubist in the Philadelphia Orch.

The interviewers won this match, a trombonist and a hornist who spent 90% of the interview ruminating on their own experiences and impressions of Carol. They did ask Carol a few questions (four to be exact) in the midst of their respective monologues. It wasn't until the floor was open to audience questions 45 minutes into the interview that Carol was able to speak. She began as a young piano student, added Euphonium at 9 and later Tuba. Her mother was/is a vocalist, but she says that has no bearing on her career choice nor did she say that she was influenced by her mother. She is an intuitive and natural player who can switch between different instruments and doesn't seem to have a particular breathing method or technique other than "sitting up straight and filling up." The impression I got was that she, at age 25, is absolutely comfortable and confident in her position as principal in a major orchestra. Carol teaches at Curtis and Temple, but has no full time students yet. If there is sexism in the section she is impervious, instead focusing on, yes she said it, "the pursuit of excellence."