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treddle wrote:Where the heck is Maryland anyway?

Very near BWI and Baltimore Brass. There are frequent bargain flights from Minneapolis. Take your mouthpiece and have a blast.

Unless you have a specific horn you're in love with locally (and it doesn't seem like you do)...you'll need to travel to find one...

Woodwind and Brasswind is in Southbend, IN...it can be driven easily if you're motivated.

Dillions and Baltimore Brass are both awesome stores, but a roadtrip there would be a little more complex.

You can fly almost anywhere out of Minneapolis, so travel can be done easily if that suits your fancy over driving.

You're in a location where you could take a week's vacation, drive, and play horns at Woodwind & Brasswind, Baltimore Brass, Dillon Music, and maybe even Custom Music in Michigan.

Don't forget all the other players in Minneapolis, too. If they're friendly at all, they'll either let you toot a few notes on their tubas, or they'll actually ask you to do so.

It's like when I let someone drive my car around the block -- I want to see (or hear, in the case of the tuba) what it's like from the outside.

Plus, as tuba players, we know that stores with a wide range of tubas are very rare, so most players would want to be helpful by having you try their horn.

There is also the Midwest Clinic held in Chicago during December - you can try a lot of horns there.