Posted by TubaRay on June 06, 2003 at 11:29:28:
In Reply to: Two Years and Counting! posted by Steve Kinsel on June 06, 2003 at 10:44:29:
It is always good to hear of those who "come back to the fold." I'm glad to hear you are doing so well. I wasn't part of TubeNet when you posted two years ago. I have only been with it for about a year and a half, however I can see that you got some encouragement when you asked whether or not you should attempt a comeback.
You mentioned a lack of time to practice as much as you used to practice. Although I have been playing since I was twelve years old and have not had to come back, I can certainly relate to the lack of practice time. Personally, I have a 15 minute routine that I attempt to do religiously. On average I probably miss 1-3 days a month. This calls for some tremendous discipline at times. Often I am doing the routine when I am quite tired and certainly don't feel like it, but it really pays off for me. When combined with my performing activities, my chops are almost always in pretty good shape. The routine isn't much fun, but my ability to play at or near my very best is. What I'm trying to say is that if you will practice/workout doing the right things, a lot of practice time isn't an absolute requirement to be in good shape. When it comes to practicing tuba, sometimes adult life isn't so great, is it?
Well, best wishes for continued enjoyment playing tuba. Let us hear from you more often on this board. By the way, you didn't mention WHERE you are. Why not let us know your general location and in which bands you are a member. Also, let us know which TubaChristmas locations you attend. Believe it or not, some of us find this interesting.
Ray Grim
The TubaMeisters