Am I a Grinch?

MaryAnn · Post by **MaryAnn** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 5:12 pm

Yeah you're a grinch and so am I.

Don't do tubaXmas....went once; it wasn't too bad, really, but I got to the mall where we were to play, there were NO parking spaces within a quarter mile, and I went home.

But I am grinch-like in the groups I play in; all is well until I get good enough on the instrument to listen to what is going on around me (not claiming to be "good" just "good enough" to give 1% of my ears to listening)...and then I start to get grumpy and whiney and a few other of the seven dwarf names. Then I take up a new instrument. I think oboe is next...that should take a good long while before I morph into a grinch again.

MA

tubatooter1940 · Post by **tubatooter1940** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 7:39 pm

Gotta watch this grinch thing. There is a natural tendency to weed out the weakest players but acting on it can result in bad morale and insecurity among those who think they may be next.

tubatooter1940 · Post by **tubatooter1940** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 7:42 pm

Gotta watch this grinch thing. There is a natural tendency to weed out the weakest players but acting on it can hurt morale and cause anyone who may be next to feel really insecure.

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 8:05 pm

The guiding principle of life: What Would Bart Simpson Do?

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 9:06 pm

SplatterTone wrote:The guiding principle of life: What Would Bart Simpson Do?

BIORW (Blame It On Ralphie Wiggums)

Dylan King · Post by **Dylan King** » Tue Dec 20, 2005 11:35 pm

"Tuba Christmas" actually played a small part in God opening my mind to the truth about th is pagan holiday.

Years ago I was so very into Christmas. Even though I'm a Jew, we celebrated in my family with some sort of supernatural drive that to this day I can't think why we did that.

I attended two "Tuba Christmas" events in Los Angeles, and had a bad time at both. The first was at the music center, where we were all crushed on the stairs of the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion. I got two dings on my horn from the experience and remember being hot and uncomfortable the entire time. I also remember my ears hurting afterwards from the intonation problems and the blasting sousaphones.

THe second one I attended was a few years ago in Glendale. THat one was way more comfortable, but I still had the problem of headaches after the event. I began to question the meaning of some of these "Christmas" songs we had been playing, and began researching the holiday.

What I found was astounding. THat Christmas had absolutely no roots in Christianity at all. THat it came from pagan origins. No wonder I always felt so strange about the whole thing.

I'm so happy now that I stay away from it now. It contributes to my happiness immensly not having to be involves in a stressful and made up event.

So I guess I can say to you all. I'm "Baa-Humbug" and loving it.

Phil Dawson · Post by **Phil Dawson** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:00 pm

Tuba Christmas is not jsut about the music and sonding good. If your goal is to produce the Wilder tunes as well as you can then get 4 or 5 good players together and play them. I have even been paid to play them in a small group and after several gigs we sounded very good. Tuba Christmas is at least partially about sharing our music with our fellow tuba players. For those of us that have often only played orchestra and quintet gigs there is usually just one of us and playing with other tuba players is a treat. I have had the most fun and rewarding experiences sitting next to a grade school player and trying to show them what they can sound like and trying to share the magic that comes with playing.
Merry Christmas (tuba and otherwise), Phil

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:07 pm

What is all this nicety nice hogwash. Tuba players should be more like players of the the Great Highland pipes. They don't tolerate nothin' and they get respect, and they are in parades, and they get to wear neat skirts.

SplatterTone · Post by **SplatterTone** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:36 pm

I should add: without underwear!

Biggs · Post by **Biggs** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 3:59 pm

I don't know how anyone could look forward to that assault on the ears known as tubachristmas. In my experience, 'fun' and 'tubachristmas' are mutually exclusive.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:04 pm

Have a Merry Holiday ABUTment
(steering clear of every foundation and copyright you can think of)

Brassdad · Post by **Brassdad** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:31 pm

bloke wrote:

HO HO BLAT!!!!

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:41 pm

I've been to several TubaChristmas events in the past, mostly at the request of parents/friends/etc. that pressured me into doing it because they think it's cute.

I've not really had a great time at any of the events I've attended (in multiple cities). In the warmer climate cities, the concerts are outdoors (standing up on a hill in one city) and are done standing. It's a pain...plain and simple.

As MSM said, it is almost inevitable that your horn will get damaged. There are just too many people around in too small of a space in order to prevent damage.

The experience, although supposed to be fun, cute, etc., etc., etc. is usually soured by the few that insist on sticking out (improv solos, octave or two higher, blats, "horn swings," and so on).

It's just not worth it to pay to suffer through a rehearsal and a concert only to walk away with a few dents in your horn due to how careless many of the participants are.

Art Hovey · Post by **Art Hovey** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:34 pm

Why should tubists have all the fun?
-Turn speakers on, paste this, and hit go:

http://music.memphis.edu/tasteechristmas.mp3

Brassdad · Post by **Brassdad** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 7:07 am

Art Hovey wrote:Why should tubists have all the fun?
-Turn speakers on, paste this, and hit go:

http://music.memphis.edu/tasteechristmas.mp3

DUDE! That was just wrong. My dog won't come out from under the couch.

windshieldbug · Post by **windshieldbug** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 11:14 pm

oxymoron: trumpet choir

Kevin Hendrick · Post by **Kevin Hendrick** » Thu Dec 22, 2005 11:16 pm

Beergardenblatter wrote:... I did a christmas gig at a church where we played "little drummer boy", there was a wild man on stage playing acid rock style drum set throughout the tune, I thought it was supposed to be a joke but figured out real quick that most of the church people were taking it seriously and thought it was real cool (ack!!).

As always, it coulda been worse -- he might have only been up to playing "half-acid rock" style ...