A demand for tubas, but in an illegal and hurtful way.

[Rev Rob]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/educa ... .html?_r=1" target="_blank" target="_blank

The above link is from an article in the New York Times 9 February, online issue. Apparently someone is stealing tubas and Sousaphones from schools for folks who want to play Mexican banda music in southern California.

Who would ever have thought tubas and Sousaphones would be such demand that people have to steal them?

[Misterguru]

There is a good NPR story that mentions this. I THINK it is in this story:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... =144678543" target="_blank

Tim

[Misterguru]

One more thing: "...and Sycamore Junior High in Anaheim lost 20 instruments, including all its tubas, in a theft at the end of December that will cost the school in excess of $20,000. "

Really? I am skeptical that this reporter did his homework on the school: wouldn't you expect school property to be insured for theft?

I am a former college newspaper editor and wouldn't let that by my desk unless it was explained with, "The school is self insured." or "The band instruments are not insured for theft."

[Dan Schultz]

One more thing: "...and Sycamore Junior High in Anaheim lost 20 instruments, including all its tubas, in a theft at the end of December that will cost the school in excess of $20,000. "

Twenty instruments and only $20,000 total? Wasn't much of a band, was it? Maybe half of them were Flute-O-Phones!

[bort]

This story made Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live last night. I forget what the punchline was though (it was just that good).

[thezman]

The punchline was something along the lines of "guess they figured out a way to smoke weed out of a tuba". Second time the instrument has been mentioned on SNL this season

[David Richoux]

I found this slightly hack music industry blogger's bloviating on the topic worth replying to.

I have not seen any further reply to my several comments yet.

[The Big Ben]

I found this slightly hack music industry blogger's bloviating on the topic worth replying to.

I have not seen any further reply to my several comments yet.

It appears that the author's knowledge of banda is limited to his own opinion and whatever he can read in Wikipedia.

[Donn]

I think it's a safe bet that the demand has been mostly filled for the time being.

Not only filled, but over-saturated I bet - once the would be banda stars discover how hard it is to play like that on a sousaphone, and how little money you get per person from a wedding or party gig with a big band, those sousaphones are going to be back on the street. A smart school district might be able to guess exactly how long that will take, and go out and buy them back at fairly reasonable prices.

[tubatooter1940]

Creeps around here would find a tuba easier to extract brass from than an air conditioner.

[Bob Kolada]

I'm reminded of a quote I saw on another board. Approximately-

"Pardon me, I just saw a small bike in your yard. About how old is your child?"
"About as old as my shotgun."

[David Richoux]

Heh!

Ne York Times Corrections: February 13
Published: February 13, 2012

NATIONAL

An article on Friday about a rash of tuba thefts from schools in Southern California referred incorrectly to the size of a sousaphone, a type of tuba also being taken. While the sousaphone has a different shape from a tuba, it is not considered a “smaller tuba.” The article also misspelled the name of the university in Texas where J.D. Salas teaches tuba. It is Stephen F. Austin State University, not Steven F. Austin State University.

(I didn't think they would name a university after the 6 Million Dollar Man...)