Posted by Todd Morgan on February 15, 2002 at 08:43:10:
In Reply to: Tuba Exchange in the New York Times posted by Andy Smith on February 14, 2002 at 22:56:29:
Hi Andy,
Thanks for the link to the article. As a future band director, I fear what kind of financial hassle this might cause between teachers and administration. Many school districts struggle to get the instruments they need. If school X is in need of 2 new tubas and the director places a purchase order through the school. If this school is anything like my high school was...that purchase order will go through a bidding process, whereby the district will find who will sell them the cheapest tuba that fits a certain description. My last year in HS we received 2 King 2341s. At the time I wasn't too thrilled with the school districts choice, but what I found out from my director was as follows. He put in a bid that was sorta like this....
Needed: 2 BBb Tubas
Brand: ANY
Configuration: Front Action Valves
Number of Valves: 4
(this is a highly abridged version)
As you can tell by this simple request this leaves a whole GAMMUT of possibilities. District X could have $2,000,000 for the band fund, and might order a couple Hirsbrunners. If district X has no money (like mine) they are looking for the cheapest possible solution. It would be our job as educators to EDUCATE the school district on why cheapest is not always best especially when you are talking about the tools that students have to use. A tuba that costs $5-6000 today (Mirafone 186, new King 2341, Cerveny 686, Meinl Weston Horns, etc) can last YEARS upon YEARS in a school district. If they skimp out on buying a decent horn.....they can find themselves buying a new set of horns in a shorter period of time. It could cost them more in the long run.
Wow....this post is way longer than I anticipated. I think everyone gets my point. I am curious as to what others think about this.
-Todd Morgan