The United States Marine Band

[Dan Schultz]

I watched most of the event up until Noon or so. Yes... the music was fabulous! It was especially nice to get a few glimpses of The Band. I noticed they had the six sousaphones split on either side of the podium. I was trying to see if they were wearing their sousas per Bloke's instructions.

[Paul S]

I watched most of the event up until Noon or so. Yes... the music was fabulous! It was especially nice to get a few glimpses of The Band. I noticed they had the six sousaphones split on either side of the podium. I was trying to see if they were wearing their sousas per Bloke's instructions.

I could not see the sousas close enough to tell how they were worn, but it was Very obvious they were in top form and sounded awesome as the audio feed on NBC carried a really great full sound from them!

[Hank74]

I would also like to offer my kudos to the Marine band sousas for a first rate job which they did at today's inauguration. They were very professional and patriotic.

It's was amazing to see them upclose with their horns on a cold 30 degree day. Great pictures up close with the bells on C-SPAN. If you have that channel, look for yourself. Everyone had a metal mouthpiece. The sousas "wore their horn throughout the hour long ceremony, which means putting and keeping on all that weight. That's a lot, but these are Marines we're talking about and they can take it.

Kudos also to the other sousaphone players who marched the long parade route today. These include the armed services bands, college bands (like Ohio State), and high school bands. That had to be a long march, but priceless.

If any of you had the privilege of participating in the inauguration in some capacity as a tuba player, we'd love to hear from all of you on these boards. Great job and congratulations!

Hank74

[TubaRay]

I had the privilege to march in an inaugural parade some years ago with the Emporia State(Ks.) band. It was a real thrill to be a part of. Along with the parade, we were able to spend several days in D.C. making it possible to see the sights and absorb the atmosphere. I remember it rather vividly.

[JCradler]

I would also like to offer my kudos to the Marine band sousas for a first rate job which they did at today's inauguration. They were very professional and patriotic.

It's was amazing to see them upclose with their horns on a cold 30 degree day. Great pictures up close with the bells on C-SPAN. If you have that channel, look for yourself. Everyone had a metal mouthpiece. The sousas "wore their horn throughout the hour long ceremony, which means putting and keeping on all that weight. That's a lot, but these are Marines we're talking about and they can take it.

Kudos also to the other sousaphone players who marched the long parade route today. These include the armed services bands, college bands (like Ohio State), and high school bands. That had to be a long march, but priceless.



If any of you had the privilege of participating in the inauguration in some capacity as a tuba player, we'd love to hear from all of you on these boards. Great job and congratulations!

Hank74

Thanks for the kind words, although I must confess we ordered a bunch of those "Old Gold" colored Kellybergs last fall. One guy was using his nylon rim PT88 but it was pretty much Lexan otherwise. No, we weren't wearing the sousies like Mr. B. dictates- can't sit in chairs with it that way and the bell knocks your cover(hat) off . We had 8 Kings and one Conn in the parade.

Memorable moments: coming out of the Capitol at around 9:30 and seeing the throng on the snow-covered mall, cool. Being given the one-finger-salute during our bus ride to the Commander in Chief Ball that evening by "protestors" --way uncool. From what I understand, the "sold-out" bleachers along the parade route were disappointingly empty because "protestors" blocked access...
It was a longer than average day, but overall rewarding and I felt honored to be a part of it.

JC

[Leland]

Did you guys need "special" valve oil to keep the valves from freezing? I've still got a bottle in my cover box from out Salt Lake City trip in 2002.

[WoodSheddin]

Did you guys need "special" valve oil to keep the valves from freezing? I've still got a bottle in my cover box from out Salt Lake City trip in 2002.

It wasn't all that cold, especially once underway. Only time my valves have frozen was when the temp got down to about 22-25 degrees. Freezing valves can't take place until the metal of the valve itself looses its stored heat. If the horn is taken outside and played frequently when the temperature is right at freezing then the valves may never loose enough of their stored heat energy to allow the water in them to freeze. Of course if you stand in one place long enough then the valves will eventually freeze at 32 degrees. The colder it is outside the faster this process happens without intervention.

Rick Denney or some other wizard on board could chime in with a discussion of absolute mass and stored energy if ya needed some high speed explanation.

[Tom Holtz]

Did you guys need "special" valve oil to keep the valves from freezing? I've still got a bottle in my cover box from out Salt Lake City trip in 2002.

You mean the special valve oil that's usually served in a shot glass? I think you can guess how the Drum Major might feel about that, although I do remember a great story about a D.C. TubaChristmas and a bottle of Dr. McGillicuddy's Peppermint Schnapps winding it's way up and down the back row.

The parade in the afternoon is always warmer than the swearing-in ceremony in the morning. That's when the valves may freeze, because we sit for a some extended periods without playing. At Bill Clinton's second Inauguration, we had our concert horns out for the ceremony, and we had a hell of a time keeping the valves moving. I distinctly remember a certain Oregon Duck tuba player kicking the crap out of his Kalison valves trying to get any of them to budge--no dice.

BTW, the Kellyberg is a keeper. Tommy likey.

[Leland]

You mean the special valve oil that's usually served in a shot glass?

Yup, the stuff that they keep under the checkout counter in Salt Lake City liquor stores. After our first morning playing at the 2002 Winter Paralympics (which used some of the same venues as the Winter Olympics, including way up in the snowy mountains), I went out to find a bottle. I asked some college-age kids where the liquor store was, and of course they knew right away. Then, after half an hour of checking every shelf three times over, I finally asked an employee at the cash register, and he simply reached underneath and brought up a bottle.

Us contras had no debilitating problems after using the stuff on our valves. It was quite a help considering that we had freshly-falling snow encrusting our horns.

Back in college, it worked well during our homecoming game every year, especially when the team was bad enough that we only played at breaks between quarters, halftime, and maybe a timeout or two.