Posted by Jeff R on June 17, 2003 at 16:34:19:
In Reply to: Is the Tuba a 'good' instrument? posted by Becoming Frustrated on June 15, 2003 at 18:44:18:
At the beginning of 6th grade my folks rented a trombone frome the local music store on an 8 week contract. I liked the band and was already taking piano lessons and a bit ahead of the others in the group. At the end of the 8 eight weeks, the deal was to purchase the trombone or return it. My folks decided to return it. The band director wanted to keep me around, so he offered to lend a baritone owned by the school. " The mouthpiece is the same size...." he said. He gave the Rubank Method for Tuba and I read it up an octave. The baritone was returned to the school at the end of the year.
Next year in 7th grade at the Jr. High, the same band director met me on the first day of school to say they didn't have an extra baritone, but I could play tuba. " You've been reading the music only the mouthpiece is a bit bigger." I'm sure I was tricked, but have loved every minute since then.