Posted by Doug on June 15, 2003 at 20:54:20:
In Reply to: Is the Tuba a 'good' instrument? posted by Becoming Frustrated on June 15, 2003 at 18:44:18:
Nothing anyone said to me made me like the tuba. I still don't know why I like it. I just do. I originally joined band so I'd only have to take hald the number of PE courses as everyone else, and somehow I caught the band bug. I'm not particularly good, but I enjoy it. In fact, I didn't enjoy it through most of middle school (felt like a chore), but I stuck with it just because I don't like to quit things I start.
So from my experience, I don't think you can get just anyone to pick tuba and stick with it. Like the other posts have said, it takes a (ahem) "special" person to play tuba and like it, and that's just going to come out of someone naturally, I would think. There will be exeptions (people who hear a good tuba recording and see the light, or someone who sucks at say drums and switches b/c they still have good rythm).
On the other hand, maybe you should encourage doubling. I don't know the effects of doing that at a young age, but I wish I had learned violin or cello or saxophone (really) as I learned tuba. I could then march the cool instrument (sousa), play the kick-(AT)$$ bass lines in concert season, but then go home and play some higher pitched solo stuff for fun.
DOn't get too discouraged, if no one wants to play tuba, don't push it on someone, maybe you could get lucky next year and have a really good kid start, and then you could really treat him nice and let him play with the older group, who, by that time, will be glad to hear a bass voice at their concerts. ;-)
Best of luck
Doug "I know that shiny instruemnts aren't always better but they really do help at the middle school level" G