Posted by Rick Denney on August 09, 2002 at 12:02:59:
In Reply to: So I bought the CC Tuba - What now? posted by AmanGarner on August 08, 2002 at 22:01:58:
Others have asked if there is a need to do anything, and it seems to me there isn't. I acquired a junker tuba in high school, and it lay dormant for 8 or 9 years while I pursued other priorities. But I came back to it, and the presence of that tuba made the comeback possible. Had I been faced with purchasing a tuba to make the comeback, it would not have happened, or at least it wouldn't have happened then.
For marching band, a CC tuba may indeed be a hindrance. But one does not march forever (though if she stays close to Austin she'll be tapped to join the Alumni Band). If the Longhorn Band will be her only musical outlet, then put the Rudy away for now. After college, she may find that she wants to play in community bands or other groups, and the switch to CC might be stimulating at that time rather than the hindrance it seems to be now. The value of the Rudy, if well stored, will not diminish and she'll be able to convert it to cash and purchase a BBb horn as easily then as now, if that's the direction she decides to go.
If I had been given, say, a Miraphone when I was in high school, I might still have set it aside while I was going through grad school and working full time. But I would have appreciated it all the more on my return, and it would have ended up costing a lot less than the path I eventually did take. It's almost always more expensive to re-acquire something of value than it is to hold on to it. A good tuba sitting in the corner begs to be played.
Rick "who has always regretted disposing of things of long-term value to meet short-term needs or desires" Denney