Tuba Anecdotes - - OTHER

[LoyalTubist]

Does anyone have an amusing story that happened to you with your tuba?

I have two (more coming later, maybe):

1. Back when Amtrak stopped in Nashville (there used to be a train that went to Florida from Chicago... this was in 1976), I got off there to go to Cookeville (Tennessee). I took a taxi to the Trailways bus station, where I had to wait for four hours for the next bus. I had my tuba in a hard case and a suitcase.

In the waiting room there were lots of men dressed like rhinestone cowboys, singing to themselves. One of them came up to me and said, "Hey kid... Have you made it big in Nashville with that bass horn yet?"


2. New Years Eve 1978... I had my first New Years Eve gig. We only played until 12:30. I waited around and drove home. Since I couldn't close my tuba in the trunk, I had it in a gig bag wedged between the front seat and the dashboard on the passenger's side. I only drove about two blocks when I saw blue lights and in my rearview mirror. The officer driving motioned me to pull over.

"Whatcha got there?"

"Tuba."

"Whatcha do with it?"

"Play it. I just got done with a gig."

"May I see?"

I unzipped the bag and the officer touched it gently.

"Boy, that's a relief. We just got word that someone stole a body from the morgue in San Bernardino and was coming this way. Whoever it was had a car just like this one."

[greatk82]

"Hey kid... Have you made it big in Nashville with that bass horn yet?"

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Play that Country Tuba, Cowboy!