Posted by Joe Lowman on March 26, 2001 at 16:34:21:
In Reply to: Been 21 Years - HELP! I'm Brain Dead posted by Steve Kinsel on March 24, 2001 at 15:36:56:
Go for it!
My wife encourage me at age 50 to take up the tuba again and I did so 6 years ago after 34 years off the horn completely. (I did do a lot of singing in beteen, however. Like you I'd planned on majoring in tuba in college but got sucked into psychology instead. Now I love almost nothing more than playing tuba everywhere I can: community band, tuba quartet, brass quintets and ensembles, German Band, Salvation Army groups at Christmas, Dixeland groups. Thankfully, I made my career and raised my kids before I got back into the tuba.
I borrowed an old Conn recording bell horn from a guy I knew didn't play it much anymore and gave myself three months to see if I could still play it. In two weeks, I'd joined the local community band and haven't looked back. I bought a big 5/4 Kaiser Cherveny for $2,500 from a tuba major at the local university who was moving up to a CC horn and played it for about two years. By that time I knew I was serious and, after playing a guy's CB-50 (now the Getzen 50) I traded up and bought a used CB-50 with two cases for about $7,000 minus allowance for my horn. Switching to the CC fingerings wasn't that hard and I truly love this horn for its sweet sound, good intotnatino, and versatility. Frankly, I wouldn't worry about the best horn just now. Just find one to borrow to be sure you'll enjoy your investment. Then you can better convince yourself (and your wife!) that 5 to 6 thousand is a better investment than 2 or 3. My brother got back into the tuba by buying an old horn for only $1,500 and he hasn't gone very far with it, in part because he's embarassed by it. So avoid a junker. I certainly wouldn't have paid enough for (or been allowed to buy) a professional quality horn) until I was certain the tuba would be that much a part of my life. Once that was clear after a couple of years-- and I realized how many playing opportunities there were in my part of North Carolina -- it was an easy decision to buy a very good used horn and one I'd do again in a heartbeat should something happen to my CB-50.
Be forwarned, as one of the respondants here noted, that THIS WILL TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE in a wonderful way that a Miata never will. I've had a sporty convertible but that high wore off eventually and never matched the thrills I get from playing the tuba both bymyself when practicing, in rehearsals, and when performning. Based on my experience and those of my fellow adult brass players (all serious amateurs with day jobs and families) I can guarantee that you'll be more than rewarded by the joys and fellowship you'll experience from playing the tuba. Do it!
By the way, if you live close enough be sure to attend the Army Tuba/Euphonium Conference in Arlington, VA that is held the end of January each year. It's free and offers wonderful clinics and performances by some of the world's best players.