Posted by Brad on April 02, 2003 at 16:34:07:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: I need a new tuba! posted by Dave on April 01, 2003 at 23:19:38:
Well, first the issue about the after high school tuba use. I plan on going to Ohio State to be part of the marching band, as well as to be in the Air Force ROTC program, as I would like a future career in the Air Force as a pilot. At Ohio State, they provide me with the Sousaphone for marching, and the concert tuba for concerts, at least I think they do. So, I would have an extra tuba laying around I won't need until I leave the Air Force, which would be after my useful flying days are over.
Next, on to my band director. Since there is someone here who went to Baldwin Wallace, I am from the Cleveland area. I go to Trinity High School. The band program has what they call the Band Boosters, which try to make up ideas for fund rasising. My parents aren't good with ideas like that, but they go to the meetings anyway. One parent suggests one method of raising money, when another parent who is an officer yells, "We've tried that already, it doesn't work!" The parents offer suggestions only to be shot down. My band director has no say in what goes on with the Boosters meetings, he can only offer suggestions, and they won't listen to him either.
My band director, Mr. Scott Tenney, has tried everything to get the boosters to give him money for new instruments. They gave him the $1500 for a new Yamaha mellophone when the vice-president of the boosters' daughter didn't have a mellophone to play. This next week we are doing something I'v been dreading for a while now. Mr. Tenney gave all three levels of band, Intermediate (the ones who started beginning this year), Concert (the good players) and Wind Ensemble (the best players) the same song... Mr. Sandman. There are 7 tuba players, actually 6, the one sprained his arm playing basketball, and there are 4 tubas. All three groups (which combined equal around 55 people) are all scheduled to play at the Spring Sports Pep Rally next Wednesday. Combined, we will all play the Alma Mater, Fight Song, and Mr. Sandman. The question: There are 6 tubists on 4 tubas, something has to give. So us two that marched this past year get to play the Sousaphones, and the other four play the tubas that work, including mine (pray they don't destroy it!)
Here's a few more interesting facts. Back in 1992, there were about 800 students at Trinity. The band had 7 tubists, and 150 total members. The school was undergoing an expansion to refurbish the gym, and build two more classrooms, as well as add an atrium with a shop and a snack bar. Then, in I believe 1995, the principal resigned and the assistant principal took over. He jacked up the cost of tuition, he cut back funding for both the band and choir, and he continued his focus on computers, taking over three of the classrooms, turning them all into computer labs, and plastering his father's name all over the place there. Even the classroom numbers were changed and are now named after his father.
Student numbers hit an all time low around 1998, with about 350 total students, as a matter of fact, the total number of band students was at its lowest as well, with only 40 students in the entire band. Ever since, the school has grown back to 500, but because the band now receives no recognition for anything, only receiveing two pages in the yearbook, two pages that are shared with the choir, choir being the main focus, rather then having two full pages for band, two full pages for choir as it used to be, and even throughout the rest of the yearbook, the band had as much attention as them sports teams. The band is a sickly group of 55, and 1/5 of them being seniors, the numbers will go way down. This year's intermediate band, the beginners, has only 8 people in it. Besides the seniors, there are the masses of those that just don't care about band and act like, well, assholes, but they market off the idea that just because there's only 55 people, Mr. Tenney can't kick them out because he needs them, which is not true. If we were to get rid of the seniors right now, and get rid of those who hate band and act stupid, we would have about 25 people, no drum section at all, down to four tubists, and one trombonist, and about 7 clarinets, 4 flutes, 5 trumpets, and so on.
I had given Mr. Tenney the idea of my parents or whoever buying me my own wonderful Kanstul convertible tuba, and then whatever the price of the tuba is, which is like $5600, is then taken off of my $6500 tuition for next year, and then when I graduate, I donate the tuba to the school. He liked the idea but said Mr. Moneybags (the principal) wouldn't go for it, he needs more money for carpet and computers.
Oh, and about the marching with a tuba deal, I need the Kanstul type of marching convertible tuba, left shoulder marching looks a lot easier then right shoulder marching. My band director and the guy I get private lessons from both tell me I need a better tuba, I don't need a student model, I need a 4/4 size tuba that is not cheaply built.