Re: band director needs help


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Posted by Mike I on April 05, 2003 at 16:19:56:

In Reply to: band director needs help posted by Ari Contzius on April 04, 2003 at 13:26:27:

I was in a school system with a really excellent music program and the HS school (4200 kids) band program had a national reputation. The music system started kids early on the tuba and always had a lot of excellent players. At the high school level we had Rudy Meinls and Conn 20j's. The middle schools had Conn 20j's and the elementay schools Conn10j's.

I think you have to buy horns with an eye somewhat on the program you have and the quality of the kids playing tuba throughout the system. At my HS, it was mandatory that you had to take private lessons. While I was there everybody took really good care of the horns they were given. I was handed a brand new Rudy as a junior and it was still like new when I left. Now I have heard that at a lot of places the horns are beaten to death, but that wasn't our experience.

Nobody has mentioned what sound you want - German or American. For the money I don't think you could go wrong with a Miraphone 186 (German sound - rotors) or King 2341 (American sound - pistons). Miraphones are easy to get parts for and hold their resale value well. I suspect the new King should be the same. I would recommend the Rudy's, but they are expensive and parts might be an issue for a HS horn.

I currently own the new King and think I would have been really happy to have played it in HS, but if given the choice would have still taken that Rudy with that magic sound.

I think you are better off buying a decent quality horn like a Miraphone over something like the Jupiters or St. Petes even if you have to buy the Miraphones used to keep the price down. If you are near one of the better quality music dealers like Dillon's I think it would be great to take a group of kids from the HS,Middle School and Grade School and let them try the horns in your price range and get their feedback. They're the ones who are going to have to play them, this makes them feel like they are a real part of the program, that their opinions mean something and maybe they will be more likely to take care of a horn that they helped picked out.

BTW, I bought my King from Matt Walters at Dillon's and can't say enough nice things about Matt and my experience in dealing with him & Dillon's

Good Luck!






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