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What was your most meaningful performance this season, either yours or one you witnessed. Even with the great community band concert, the symphony gig, big band dance job, or my high school band's shows... the most touching for me was quartet caroling. I put together a pick up group and we went to daycare centers and nursing homes. To see the looks on those little guys when the tuba played the melody was priceless. When those elders, who just sit and stare at nothing all day, started singing with us on "Silent Night", I wept. All of the nursing home staff gathered around and held the hands of those dear old folks and shared some of the true spirit of the season. I think they respond better to our sounds because they can still hear lower frequencies. Whatever it was, I was moved. The undergrad kids I took along said they are going back with hymn tunes and popular music from the 30's, 40's and 50's.

Carroll wrote:What was your most meaningful performance this season, either yours or one you witnessed. Even with the great community band concert, the symphony gig, big band dance job, or my high school band's shows... the most touching for me was quartet caroling. I put together a pick up group and we went to daycare centers and nursing homes. To see the looks on those little guys when the tuba played the melody was priceless. When those elders, who just sit and stare at nothing all day, started singing with us on "Silent Night", I wept. All of the nursing home staff gathered around and held the hands of those dear old folks and shared some of the true spirit of the season. I think they respond better to our sounds because they can still hear lower frequencies. Whatever it was, I was moved. The undergrad kids I took along said they are going back with hymn tunes and popular music from the 30's, 40's and 50's.

I'm not certain which Christmas performance was most meaningful for me, but reading your account here was quite meaningful. Thank you for sharing this with all of us.

For me it was Playing the Kettle outside of a Wal*Mart for 4 hours Christmas Eve. We did the first 2 hours as a quartet, (trumpet, trombone, euphonium and tuba). The trombone player had to leave so I switched from euph to trombone for the last 2 hours and we were a trio.

The ringer left at the halfway point with the morning kettle and left us with a fresh, empty one. A lot of people stopped to listen for several songs. They all fed the kettle. We took requests for songs. Chatted and kidded with everyone between numbers. One lady with her two children left and then came back to listen some more. When they came back she said our stands needed decorations, so she and her daughters hung candy canes and Life Saver balls on them.

When we knocked off I glanced into the kettle to see how well we had done with only 2 hours and an empty kettle. It was no longer empty - it was crammed to the top. We didn't count it, of course, but full of bills it was.

All in all, a fun way to spend Christmas Eve and very satisfying. I highly recommend it.

I played a Christmas pageant at my church back in Riverside, California, for many years. This meant more to me than almost anything else I have ever played.

schlepporello wrote:For me, it was the "Last minute quartet" that by the grace of God we managed to throw together to play at a Salvation Army Kettle for 1 hour at a Wal-Mart near my house. This made the 4th Christmas event I was involved in this season, but for me was the most meaningful because we could see the results as they happened. I saw very few people walk by the kettle without putting something in it. A few people even gave some money to us as well as the kettle. We put this money into the kettle upon finishing our hour of playing. We weren't playing to benefit ourselves, we were playing for the glory of the Lord and to benefit the Salvation Army. I don't really know if the dollar amount increased due to our playing, but I do know that it was a lot of fun.



From left to right:
My 2nd cousin Barry Blackwell, Chad Green, The Salvation Army Bell Ringist, Dan McCall, and me.

I was part of this and it was absolutely wonderful. Lots of fun and we got to help out a worthy cause.

Way to go Schlep. Are you sprouting a beard this winter?

I have had a few meaningful performances this Christmas, but I think the most satisfying was actually going around the streets of a village playing with a quintet. People were coming out of their houses to listen and the smiles on the children's faces was a joy to see - I am sure we helped make those families Christmas

PS And we collected a record amount that evening!

Love the pics, schlep. especially the ones with the price tags. who knew you could get a tubist for $1 and the second tubist for on $.75? The whole quartet was only $3.50!

Our quintet did a benefit at a nursing home that one of our members has ties to. After we announced our last tune a weak frail voice called out from the back of the room. "You didn't play Jesus Loves Me." We explained that we were just doing Christmas music but the whole room persisted. Fortunately we had our whole book with us which contains my favorite rendition by Dennis Klophaus. After we finiished we were graciously allowed to leave. Dennis you saved our collective rears. If you do not have it in your book, get it. I've seen people weep in services on numerous occaisions when we play it. It is because of the quality of the music and not that we play it badly. Plug!
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Dennis K. wrote:Love the pics, schlep. especially the ones with the price tags. who knew you could get a tubist for $1 and the second tubist for on $.75? The whole quartet was only $3.50!

I had to go back and look at the picture to see what you were talking about. I'll have to admit I didn't notice when I looked at it the first time. But, correct me if I'm wrong, it only adds up to $3.25. Now, after all, I'm a tuba player, so my counting could be wrong.

$1.00 + $.75 + $1.00 + $.50 = $3.25

Regardless, that's pretty cheap!

My family and I spent Christmas in Maryland with my dad's side of the family (my Grandmother turned 90 this year and requested the whole family get together) Christmas Eve we went to church at the nursing home chapel (really nice service, actually). This 90 year old woman sang 'Gesu Bambino'- and it was absolutely amazing! Yes, she had a 90 year old voice, but her pitch was right on, and it was obvious she had sung professionally at some point in her life.

TubaRay wrote:

Dennis K. wrote:Love the pics, schlep. especially the ones with the price tags. who knew you could get a tubist for $1 and the second tubist for on $.75? The whole quartet was only $3.50!

I had to go back and look at the picture to see what you were talking about. I'll have to admit I didn't notice when I looked at it the first time. But, correct me if I'm wrong, it only adds up to $3.25. Now, after all, I'm a tuba player, so my counting could be wrong.

$1.00 + $.75 + $1.00 + $.50 = $3.25

Regardless, that's pretty cheap!

Sho' nuff. How dare I overcharge for a Tuba 4-tet. apparently I overcharged for the 2nd Euphonium...

schlepporello wrote:

Doc wrote:

Dennis K. wrote:Sho' nuff. How dare I overcharge for a Tuba 4-tet. apparently I overcharged for the 2nd Euphonium...

That's usually the problem.

At least I have the comfort of knowing that I'm worth $1.

Let's not jump to conclusions, Wayne. There are many things at Walmart which cost a dollar(or more). Not all of them are worth it.

Doc wrote:Ray, your spot-on as usual. Hell, I'd give a buck fifty to hear Wayne play down at Walmart.

Being the big spender I am, I'd give two bucks!

Although, this (from last year) was probably my most meaningful Christmas performance to date. (That's me with the Holton and my kid with the King)
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Having been inspired by iiipopes, I played all by my onesies at the Foley, Alabama Walmart on two different days.
We played our seventh "Creekers Eastern Shore Christmas Tour" with concerts at Womens and Children's Hospital - so heart rending to see kids so sick smiling and singing - excited about Christmas.
Our gig at Rosemont Nursing Home was made memorable by Santa showing up having a fine singing voice and blowing us away with hot renditions of Christmas carols. He was so good we had no need to change keys and he fit in with all our arrangements. . Loved the old lady who spoke up after every song saying, "I like that one. Play it again."
I took my grandson with us to play eggs and moraccas at a gig at the Daphne Montessori School. He attended there for two years and got to see some friends and teachers he really liked.
Hey, reading back on all this, I had a super cool Christmas.

I recently started attending a Presbyterian church here in Wayne. After the first service I attended I had a chat with the minister, who "confessed" that he was a former tuba player in high school and that he only plays once a year during the church's Christmas program, when they put a small band together to play carols.

A few days later, he called me in my office to invite me to join them for their Christmas program and I agreed, though I "had to" skip out on TubaChristmas to do it.

I guess they figured since I was the "ringer" in a group of amateurs and hobbyists (though I was more than happy to just be the bottom, it's my favorite activity) they'd toss a solo in front of me, so I did "O Holy Night" for the service.

When we were all done and enjoying coffee and whatnot an old gal came up and said "Were you the tuba player?" I said yes and she wrapped me up in a big ol' bearhug and thanked me for coming, she said she enjoyed it so much.

I love moments like that, which remind me why I got into music in the first place. It's a breath of fresh air, especially amidst the rigor of juries and finals and grading papers and all the rest.

We did our annual brass caroling on unsuspecting people's front porches (we ring the bell and just start playing.) This year we had a brass trio, with me on euphonium.

People are just SO appreciative! They come stand on the porch in the cold in their pj's just to hear us play. Really gets us in the Christmas spirit of giving.

MA