Posted by Rick Denney on August 08, 2001 at 14:26:32:
In Reply to: The detriments of playing tuba in HS posted by Kraft on August 08, 2001 at 12:37:26:
The whole point of playing tuba is to provide a tonal foundation for the band. Those long tones are the reason for the instrument. The trick for teachers is to find someone who gets into that role, and into the sound of the instrument, more than they get into technical showing off. And, of course, they have to praise that role and give it value out loud so that other students--not just the tubists--see their regard for its importance. Do that, and the tuba players won't be bored.
I just recently played English Folk Song Suite for about the millionth time. You'd think I'd be bored with it by now, but I still love wrapping up in it like a warm, familiar blanket. And the part I love the most is the part that is hardest for me to play musically--that low, soft accompaniment in the slow movement. Getting high-school kids to love that aspect of playing is a challenge, but that's what will keep them motivated.
What I hate are band compositions that do not reward hard work with a satisfying musical experience. "Symphony of Sit-Coms" comes to mind as an example, but the literature overflows with similar examples at all levels of technical difficulty. When I was in high school, we almost never played any of the great literature for band, because it was considered passe. To this day I cannot tell you any single piece that I played in high-school band save one (Carmina Burana), but I remember fondly the first time, as an adult, one of the Holst suites appeared in the folder and I finally got to play it.
Rick "who loves the challenge of simple music played beautifully" Denney