Posted by Jeff R on August 02, 2001 at 18:42:02:
In Reply to: Why tuba and not some other instrument? posted by Les Smith on August 02, 2001 at 16:40:25:
Early in elementary school I took piano lessons. In 5th grade, the local Jr. High band gave a concert at our school as a recruiting tool. It worked and I signed up. My folks rented a trombone from the local music store for 8 weeks. I liked the elementary school "beginning band". But when the 8 week rental was up on the trombone, my folks couldn't afford to buy it. I spoke to the band director, who was also the band director at the Jr. high school where I was headed the next year. He could loan me a school instrument, but it was a baritone horn. Same mouthpiece as the trombone, but with valves. Coincidentally, the music he gave me was the tuba part. Just read down an octave. I was happy for the rest of the year.
7th grade/Jr. high school rolls around and the first day of band practice, he tells me the this school doesn't have an extra baritone horn. He's got a sousaphone that I can play and I already knew the music. I was a tall, thin, able-bodied kid and that's how I got started.
Have any of heard of this technique being used in modern times for recruiting tubists?