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The university I attend is quite small... especially the band program. The band director prior to the current one had bought tubas. LOTS OF TUBAS. Good for me . But the current director is selling them due to lack of use in order to pump some funds into the bands account. My problem is that I use the schools F tuba for my own personal use with solos and exerpts. They are selling it . I have no money, and I use my student loans to pay for tuition. My student recital is next semester and I really don't have the time to relearn all my solos on CC. Any suggestions on how to manage this problem would be appreciated.

Dan

Why don't you go to the Band Director and let him know that at least one of those tubas is - in fact - used. Maybe he just doesn't know. Perhaps get your tuba teacher involved. Or, go to the department head. You pay to go there!

Stefan

You definitely need to go through another faculty member. If there is a brass department chair at your school, try asking them. They are usually pretty influential people (for better or worse). Your teacher certainly ought to stand up for you in this situation as well.

Finally, if this recital has degree implications, make sure that is made very explicit. Your conductor ought to understand the importance of making satisfactory progress towards a degree. If he doesn't, they don't deserve to have you as a student in the first place.f

What university director has the authority to arbitrarily sell university property anyway ? Sounds a bit fishy to me. Especially if some of these instruments are being used as intended.

Thanks for the advice guys... I will be buying a horn soon, but as of now I am still about $3000 in debt for the PT-20 I purchased recently. I have talked to the director and we worked out an arrangement to where he is going to keep the F until I get some student loan money and make enough teaching some lessons (should be by Jan.) I won't be buying the schools horn so if anybody has a decent F for sale that they will be willing to hang onto until then, I will be in the market (YFB-822 or MW 45SLP maybe.) Thanks again!!!

Not to be an ***, but the YFB-822 and the 45-SLP are not much smaller than your PT-20.

You might be best to convince that band director to keep the F permanently as it is a specialty instrument that would cost more to replace than to keep.

Also, why does the band director have sole discretion over the keep/sell decision process?

Spend some time looking at what most pros use as their "day-in day-out" F tubas. You'll probably find that they are not those big F's, unless they are using them in quintet ALOT.

An aside:

Saxophonists must be the unluckiest bastards around. If they want to be professionals, they have to own a really good alto and tenor ($7-$10K), a good flute ($1-$2K), a good Bb Clarinet ($2k), and possibly a decent Bari ($3-$4K). Plus assorted mouthpieces totaling another $1K plus and the perpetual purchasing of reeds ($$$$). Even worse, most have at least two altos, two tenors, two clarinets an a picc. Tuba starts to look less and less expensive...

Tubadan -
I had to use all my available loan money in order to attend college. I bought my F tuba with a student loan. How you do it is writing letters to financial aid. You will need to express how important it is that you purchase an F tuba in order to continue your studies, get into grad school, and or play professionally. F is something you NEED to have. Have your teacher and your favorite director write letters as well. Chances are, if you do it right, the school will increase your loan eligibility at the very least. I was actually able to get the school I was at to give me 1000 as a grant towards buying the tuba.
Shoot me a message if you need more info.

Jim

wnazzaro wrote:

Matthew Gilchrest wrote:An aside:

Saxophonists must be the unluckiest bastards around. If they want to be professionals, they have to own a really good alto and tenor ($7-$10K), a good flute ($1-$2K), a good Bb Clarinet ($2k), and possibly a decent Bari ($3-$4K). Plus assorted mouthpieces totaling another $1K plus and the perpetual purchasing of reeds ($$$$). Even worse, most have at least two altos, two tenors, two clarinets an a picc. Tuba starts to look less and less expensive...

However, they get paid doubling, which makes the expenditures worth it. And they can work in big bands, jazz bands, rock bands, wedding bands, recording sessions and live shows. Very few tuba players get any of that work.

Yeah, but saxes aren't used too often in brass quintets. With my tuber and extra plumbing t-bone, I've done big band work, jazz band work, recording sessions and live shows. If I had my bass (Electric) chops working, the other two would be right there also. I still would have far less invested and I'd be getting doubling work PLUS cartage fees.

Problem is that sax players are just cooler than we are...