Re: question from a non-tubist


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Posted by Joe Baker on August 09, 2001 at 13:44:12:

In Reply to: question from a non-tubist posted by Jayson Devries on August 09, 2001 at 13:25:29:

This was recently discussed at great lengh in this forum. To sum up the concensus, there are three *POTENTIAL* negatives associated with marching band: first, that an undisciplined player might damage his embouchure by overly loud playing. Second, that time spent on the field and in the bleachers is time not spent in the practice room. Many felt that students should not be compelled to play in marching band in order to be in the band program. Some felt strongly enough about this to insinuate that it was coercion or blackmail. Others felt that learning to 'go along to get along' or 'letting one had wash the other' was a valuable life skill, and that most students could manage both marching *and* a rigorous practice routine. Finally, for a player attempting to make the move to CC** tuba, moving back and forth daily between the CC concert tuba and the BBb sousaphone would be an impediment to progress.

Given your situation, with so many tuba players, perhaps you could institute a policy of making marching optional after a student has put in two or three years. Then, your most serious students could opt out in their senior year to prepare for college auditions. 'Course, how you fix that up with the rest of the band, where you need all the trumpets or trombones or french horns you can get, I don't know.

Hope I've been fair to all sides, and also that I've shed more light than heat.

Joe Baker

** Switching to CC tuba isn't like switching to C trumpet. Changing to C trumpet, the player uses the same fingerings, so the switch is pretty simple. Changing to CC tuba EVERY FINGERING CHANGES; and many university profs, rightly or wrongly, require students (at least performance majors) to switch to CC.


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