Re: why tuba?


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Posted by Johnny on January 06, 1999 at 18:24:24:

In Reply to: why tuba? posted by Dean Norman on January 06, 1999 at 15:56:56:

The reason that I play tuba is because I was stuck with it. I originally want to play drums however my band director from 6th grade saw a future for me with the tuba because he was a tuba player himself and it seemed that he wanted tubas more than any other instrument. I didn't see it and at first I didn't like the idea of playing tuba and I was going to quit band because I didn't want to play it. I always thought that the tuba had always played bomp bomp. I wouldn't practice at all. I would use band time as a time to make up jokes to tell people. The tuba that my band director had let me borrow was just sitting in my basement collecting dust. However it was just one day that I've heard some music that had totally changed my philosophies around. I've heard some music on the Super Nintendo (I don't no the name of the game) that had some dynamic sounds on it that I could never forget and after all of that here comes a tuba to take it all home. After that I've realized that I was playing a musical instrument and not garbage. After that I started practicing daily. There were other tuba players in the band but they all quit for the same reason that I was going to quit for the thought that all the tuba could do was bomp bop . They didn't realize like I did that the tuba had 4 valves and could be played as well and as fast or faster than any trumpet or flute. Fortunately through highschool I ended up being the only tuba player in the whole school district. So I decided to take advantage of that. I've gotten extremely good at playing tuba and impressing my band director fulfilling a dream that he has always had for me. When he needed a tuba player. I was the man. Eventually I was playing for college bands while still in highschool I would take trips with the college band including places like Canada, England, France. All sponsered by different companys. I've gotten all kinds of scholarships for tuba and all kinds of publicity that most people wouldn't have gotten. I was well recognized for my tuba skills. I was the one to show my neighborhood, my community that the tuba wasn't the just the bomp bomp kind of instrument. Now, I am so glad that I've stuck with my tuba. Now I see people who has quit band and totally given up on their instrument because they had had a negative philosophy about their instrument (I'm never going to go anywhere playing an instrument, I'm not going to be good enough, I'm don't feel like practicing, or I'd rather just stick to sports,etc). These people look at my acomplishments and wish that they had stuck to their instrument. I was glad that I was changed before I had done such a dishonorable thing. Looking back at all of this, I'm going to play tuba until my muscles wear out.

Johnny



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