B Flat

This is when video works. And don't miss Klinkenberg's story: On the way to playing tuba for an audience of alligators, William Mickelsen felt cocky enough to talk about his musical chops.



His well-trained jaw muscles, his lips and his tongue felt up to the task. His majestic lungs felt strong and elastic. He and his tuba were ready for whatever reptilian drama lay ahead. The night before, he and his fellow artists in the Florida Orchestra had played at Ruth Eckerd Hall behind composer Marvin Hamlisch, the Oscar winner for The Way We Were. Everything had gone swimmingly.



At Gatorland, the old tourist attraction near Kissimmee, Mickelsen was going to play a deep B flat for a…