Posted by Joe Baker on February 11, 2002 at 10:12:03:
In Reply to: Re: tuba charity posted by Kyle Cabral on February 08, 2002 at 22:12:39:
Kyle,
Sorry I didn't see this to respond sooner, I took the weekend away.
Let me give you a little more complete answer to your question, although you may not like it any better. The fact is that there IS a 'charity' that provides tubas to people like you. It is called the public school system. Here's the problem with that charity, and others that provide something for nothing. When people -- and I mean pretty much ANY people -- are given something that they didn't have to work for, they tend to not take care of it. So that Reynolds tuba you use (I am assuming here that it is a school horn - please forgive and correct me if I'm mistaken) WAS a decent horn, but may have now fallen into disrepair. Now, you may say that the school should provide new horns more often, or should provide really fine instruments. But there are financial realities. You simply must accept the fact that, to the vast majority of taxpayers, there is not enough difference between a great tuba and a crummy tuba -- or no tuba at all -- to justify raising their taxes. And, while there is another side to the issue, they have a point. Why should they take money they COULD be using to provide for their child's interest so someone else's kid can have a better horn?
So the fact is, the 'charity' thing is already there but it often doesn't work all that well. So what can you do? At $60 a week, you could save $200 a month pretty easily. A decent 4-valve instrument can be bought for $2000 - $3000. I don't know your parents, but I can tell you what would work with me (I have three teenagers). Let your parents know that you want to buy a tuba, and that they cost two or three thousand. Tell them that you're going to put away $200 a month. Ask them if, when you have half of the money, they will lend you the rest of the money, to be repaid to them at the same $200 a month. Then, be sure you are saving the whole $200 a month (if you only save $100 a month, it'll be hard to convince them that you'll repay them $200 a month). If they won't you still should be able to afford a tuba in a year. If they will, you could be honking on a good tuba in 5 or 6 months!
One final thing to remember: It doesn't take a great tuba to become a very good player. There are plenty of stories of tuba players who didn't have great equipment, but accomplished great things. Someone will fill in the details, but there's a story about Roger Bobo winning a conservatory audition on an Eb sousaphone with the fourth valve tied down to put the horn in (roughly) Bb. I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't try to improve your equipment, but don't underestimate your ability to play well on less than optimal equipment.
BTW, no credit card company will actually issue you a card until you are 18. At that time, they will issue you enough credit to destroy you, and they will not hesitate to do so.
I wish you well, and hope that you find a way to get the things you want.
Joe Baker, who paid $850 for his tuba and is not limited by it.