Re: HELP please


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Posted by Bad Memories on December 01, 2003 at 12:53:28:

In Reply to: HELP please posted by Whitney on November 29, 2003 at 17:17:50:

This post brings back bad memories of the bad old days when I was in high school. Of three or four (depending on the year) tuba players, I was the only one who had started on tuba, and who wanted to play tuba. The others were typically converted from trumpet or saxophone, because they were the weakest players to begin with.

Most of the people on this board either started as tuba players, or caught the bug and LIKE being a tuba player (at whatever level, amateur or professional).

In school bands, even today, most of the tuba players are draftees: kids who signed up for band, need the class, but aren't very good at their original instrument, usually trumpet or saxophone because those instruments are popular in elementary and middle school and there are usually more players than the band needs. Flutes are also candidates, but they're usually not willing to play tuba, so they quit if switched. So, some get converted to tuba. Usually, the weakest players. The best of the converts are usually sent to the horn section, an instrument less popular (in part because so expensive if you buy and you can't rent decent double horns) in middle school and almost unknown in elementary school.

Tuba player draftees can be thought of rather like draftees in the Army (for those of us old enough to remember the draft): some will like it, but most don't want to be there and can't wait to get out. It sounds to me like you have that sort of tuba player. Best advice: get them to quit. Next best advice: quit yourself and join the local youth symphony.


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