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I am looking for an understudy for me that I can bring along to play tuba by ear, string bass or guitar and sing as much as possible-someone who can hear and sing harmony, play lots of instruments and loves jokes.
I'm 65 and my pickin' buddy, John Reno is 44. His career will obviously extend beyond the age where geezerhood will render me useless.
We were thinking about giving a series of clinics at local high schools to interest young tuba players in playing duos or trios to entertain at some of the new bars and restuarants that are opening now from Pensacola to New Orleans. I would like to bring an understudy along slowly.
People here in the Southeast, appear to be fascinated by tubas.
John plays alone a lot and sometimes I show up where he is doing a single and add tuba later in the evening. What a difference! We see people in the crowd start doing what we call "The Snake Dance".
A snappy rhythm guitar line with hot tuba bass and lead gets 'em gyrating from shoulders to hips while while the whole body eases up and down. We call it the snake dance. People do it at the bar while waiting for drinks or seated and talking. I don't think they are all that aware they're doing it. They just do it. When people in the crowd start snake dancing, thats when the band knows we got a cook going on. It sure is fun to play around here.
If any tubenetters have advice on how to locate and train up a high-energy tuba player, I would appreciate hearing from you. I have never taught and would benefit from many of your experiences.
Thank you,
Dennis Gray
tubatooter1940
www.johnreno.com/

"When you can snatch the tuba from my hand, grasshopper, then you are indeed ready to play a bass lline... "

I'd be the perfect guy, as I love to do the same things when I can, and I'm also 44, but I don't think my wife would let me do the 16-hour commutes, either. &@##. But the next time I'm in the area, I just might have my tuba and guitar with me to ask to sit in and jam!

Talk about fascination with tubas: I have an 8 year old son, and whenever there is a group over, scouts, birthday, etc., they all beg me to get out the tuba so they can here me blow, and always ask, "Can you play...." They think it's hilarious to hear the melody two octaves down, look in the bell to try to figure it out, etc., and then give a mighty blow themselves! Of course, with my Besson being an x-rental @35 years old, there's nothing they can do to it, so I get just as tickled watching them try to get something out of it. One child's mother came up to me two weeks later and said that's all she talks about, and can't wait to be old enough to start on a band instrument herself (not necessarily tuba).

So I'm doing what I can to engender interest and pleasure to continue the band traditions.

As far as training someone, I found I needed three things: 1) absolute mastery of my theory, scales and ears so I could hop into whatever key and riff was happening; 2) pull the conservative, introverted, less-than-confident corn cob out and really let it rip, as cracked notes and smears actually add to it, just like a blues singer or guitarist, and 3) learn every sappy, corny, crowd pleasing tune I could, including oldies, jingles, show themes, etc., as the more the crowd is pleased, the more they will spend, and the more they spend, the better chance you get of coming back and getting paid for it.

iiipopes, you sound like a great musician. I would be honored to jam with you any where, anytime-guitar or tuba.
Your point about playing favorites- The folks who show up on a given night are all we have to work with. Pleasing them and making a night for them to remember is job one. That's why they buy C.D.s. -to help them relive a wonderful memory.
My 1940 King is "preowned" like your Besson. The Nashville school system "predented" it for me so I don't have to bother doing it myself.
Too bad you don't live down here in the "Redneck Riviera".
tubatooter1940