Posted by Rick Denney on April 10, 2003 at 11:59:41:
In Reply to: Re: Re: A very interesting dilemma... posted by SHS Tubamaster on April 09, 2003 at 19:13:55:
The only solution to a bad high-school band director is to endure it until graduation. He will not take advice from you, and you don't need the grief in any case.
At some point in your future years, you'll look back on high school and wonder why it seemed like it took forever to get through it.
Some band directors deal with a favored local musician for reasons that have nothing to do with quality. What those reasons might be is better not to discuss, or for you to explore--you might uncover something, but you might pay a high price to do it.
I would take the bell from one of the 20J's, and polish the old lacquer right off of it if necessary, then buff it out and make it shiny. Spray it with some spot lacquer from Ferree's. I once painted a gold-metal-flake plastic sousaphone white so I could play the better, newer King instead of having to play the dreadful old (whatever it was--I can't remember now). If the band director wants shiny, then shiny is easy, at least for the part that the judges can see.
I've been friends with band directors all my life, and have discussed, attended, and participated in contests over that period. I've never yet heard of a band downgraded at a non-marching concert because the tubas looked different. But if you band director doesn't already know this, it's unlikely he will learn it from you.
Rick "who thinks confrontations should only be undertaken when the confronter has overwhelming power" Denney