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Happy Birthday America !

A couple of nights ago. Hopefully it still qualifies, even though it was the first, not the fourth. Nothing too special tubistically (1812, but that almost goes without saying). What was memorable was the huge crowd, the enthusiatic reception of pretty much every piece we played, and especially the crowd's applause for military veterans during the Armed Forces Salute.

We put on this patriotic concert during this week every year, but with the record attendance and the great spirit of the audience, this year was exceptional. We still live in the greatest country on earth. God spare us from those who would dismantle it...

I think that would be tonight.

I'm going out on a limb and saying this afternoon-Shostakovitch 12. It will be awesome!

The Old Dam Community Band did a pre-fireworks concert Thursday evening at a large retirement village here. We've been doing this gig for seven years now and it just gets better and better.

Last night was out annual pic-nic and concert before Newburgh's (Indiana) fireworks. It's always a good turnout with a band of about 55 and their families. The crowd on the riverfront of this small town was probably in the range of 20,000.

Tonight, I'll play with the Spencer County Band before the fireworks at the old fairgrounds in Rockport, Indiana.

No particular event in years past stands out from the rest but they years just get better and better. You just can't beat 'small town USA' for holiday celebrations!

Probably the only July 4th performance I've done so far, and that would be 2 summers ago when I played a concert with my local community band inside our baseball stadium. We were seated on the field by the pitcher's mound.

- Lots of great music
- Very BIG crowd
- Setting was perfect
- Right as we ended our concert with Stars and Stripes Forever, the fireworks came shooting out from behind us off in the distance. It was very memorable.

About 20 years ago I played here in Phoenix. It was 110 F and we were in tuxes. I was playing bass trombone and when we practiced the 1812 we had a tympani. They did not tell me the cannon was behind me. I almost ate my mouthpiece. It was fun.

Most memorable? Let's see... 13 years ago I was just starting to get the bug to start playing again (after a 25-year hiatus). I gave myself a tuba for Christmas later that year. 5 months later, I was ready (I thought) for the no-audition, all-comers "Summer Band" (1-a-week rehearsals through June, July 4 performance immediately before the fireworks). We play in a quasi-bandshell formed by the entrance to the basketball arena.

Depending heavily on my best skill - staying out of the way - I somehow limped through that experience.

Tonight, I try again. Staying out of the way is still a major part of my arsenal, but it's a bit easier now.
Along the way, I think some of the most enjoyable years were those where all 4 members of the family played (tuba, flute, euphonium, trombone). There have been a few performances interrupted (but not cancelled) by thunderstorms. And then, there was the 1812 Overture accompanied by Alabama National Guard artillery. Sitting next to Andy Miller (our guest soloist) for one performance was a pretty neat free lesson...

But, for "most memorable" I'll have to pick the one where I had to skip the performance, 3 years ago. I went to one rehearsal, and then checked into the hospital for a new aortic valve (my 60th birthday present). July 4th was my first evening out on the town. I sat on the lawn in the first row and enjoyed the music.

tonight...back in the back row...hoping I remember that the Anchors Aweigh portion of Armed Forces Salute is in C. Then, it's my new tuba's turn for a valve job.

Almost forgot....the time when (a different group) played *during* the fireworks, and the (almost) spent fireworks debris rained down on top of the band.

"incoming!"

A few years ago, I played in a parade with a small community band. The 16 of us were seated on a float being pulled by a pickup truck. There were four Flutes in the front row, a couple of Clarinets and Saxes in the second row, two Trumpets, our director on Fr. Horn and a Trombone in the third row, and a Euphonium, myself on Tuba and two Percussionists in the back row.

When we got to the end of the parade route, we were supposed to play for the rest of the parade coming behind us. So, the pickup driver pulled into a small park by the street, but didn’t turn sideways or back around. This left us facing away from the parade. One of the other band members quickly asked if we were going to stay that way. Our director saw the easy way out of the problem, and told to just turn our chairs and stands around so we were facing the rest of the parade.

At that point, I couldn’t help myself. I stood up and yelled “Alright! Finally, the Tuba is in the front row, and the Flutes are in the back! I’ve been waiting for this moment for 30 years!”

Eleven of the other band members, including the director, cracked up laughing hysterically. As for the Flutes, well, if looks could have killed, I wouldn’t be typing this story right now. Fortunately, one of those Flutes forgave me. We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary last month.

That’s one parade I’ll never forget.

Had to be Friday where I narrated "Casey at the Bat" with the CT Symphonic Band at the Derby/Shelton Fireworks Spectacular in front of 3000+ celebrating spectators.

This incident is a real tragedy---------I hope every injured person will recover fully. The parade included bands. I never thought being a musician on parade could be risky.

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/h ... 2F19541648" target="_blank

rodgeman wrote:I was playing bass trombone and when we practiced the 1812 we had a tympani. They did not tell me the cannon was behind me. I almost ate my mouthpiece.

I don't have a single most memorable 4th and I still have my hearing because I follow the prime rule of 4th concerts: Find out how they are doing the cannon fire in the 1812 and make sure it is nowhere near you.

The guy with the metal garbage can and the shortgun always wants to set up right behind the tuba until I tell him what I'll do to him if he does.

Don Shirer mentioned above the concert we did last Friday night in which he narrated "Casey at the Bat" and did a splendid job. At the end of the concert we had to play continuous marches during the two dueling fireworks shows on opposite sides of the very narrow river. It seems as if both sets of explosives were going off directly above the band. Near the grand finale I somehow found the wrong chart on my stand as the band sailed into the Stars & Stripes Forever, so I just leaned back and played it from memory while watching the sky.

Then on Saturday I played at the American Yacht Club for four hours with a banjo trio. The memorable part was when a bird dropped a load on my right eye during a solo tuba chorus. At least we got out of there before the fireworks started.

Today it was a parade gig with a pickup dixieland band on a trailor in the noonday sun. I chose not to practice this evening, resting the chops just this once.

Ace wrote:This incident is a real tragedy---------I hope every injured person will recover fully. The parade included bands. I never thought being a musician on parade could be risky.

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/h ... 2F19541648" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

That's very sad. It doesn't take much to spook horses.

The first time I played on top of a circus wagon in a small circus band in the old Great American Circus Parade in Milwaukee and then Baraboo, WI we had just gotten on top of our wagon which is no easy chore, I was a little apprehensive as you are way up in the air jammed in a narrow tight space and nothing to keep you in the wagon. So they had just attached the 8 horse hitch to the wagon in front of ours when the idiot director of the band on one of the largest of the wagons with maybe 25 musicians on top directly next to them, fires up the band at full throttle. It was sunny, humid and about 95 degrees and nobody was even noodling in the heat. Well the 8 horse team spooked and bolted hard to the right and that wagon literally tilted to the point that I thought it was going to flip over. Two folks did jump off and the rest hung on for dear life. I was really relieved at how skillful our horse handlers were at keeping our horse team calm through the parade. It takes a lot of skill to handle a large team of horses pulling a heavy wagon with a band blowing hard on top through a huge crowd in a big city with live animals like elephants and bison -even a hippo one year- walking the parade and tigers on board some of the wagons. I still am amazed at the guys who drove the largest team they ever had - 64 horses. Those guys were pros.

Most memorable many years ago....playing with the First Brigade Band in Milwaukee WI for the 4th of July Circus parade.

Most memorable this year....playing at a local nursing home for 20 people. Just the tuba alone with the folks singing along, "be kind to your web footed friends, for a duck maybe somebody's mother..." Stars and Stripes Forever, the picalo part on the tuba!

Yesterday! My rock band played it's biggest show ever (opening for Foghat and Blue Oyster Cult) at the Naperville Ribfest. I didn't have any ribs myself (2 pulled pork sandwiches instead), but I did rock out on stage and drink a large amount of free Leinenkugel's! I wussed out on the bass trombone and instead brought my tenor. I also didn't find a way to play tuba on our album... Booo.

The band at a local streetfest a few weeks earlier (I did not wear a hippie shirt on the 4th)-

Bob Kolada wrote:Yesterday! My rock band played it's biggest show ever (opening for Foghat and Blue Oyster Cult) at the Naperville Ribfest. I didn't have any ribs myself (2 pulled pork sandwiches instead), but I did rock out on stage and drink a large amount of free Leinenkugel's! I wussed out on the bass trombone and instead brought my tenor. I also didn't find a way to play tuba on our album... Booo.

The band at a local streetfest a few weeks earlier (I did not wear a hippie shirt on the 4th)-

Pretty cool! Remember: Blood, Sweat, & Tears used to find a way to include tuba. And they were a rock band(as I recall, LOL). So, you need to do the same.

Yes. Yes, I do! Maybe on the next album when trumpet plays flugelhorn and such (and if I think I can haul a trombone and tuba on the bus all the way out there! ).

Bob Kolada wrote: (opening for Foghat

Heard Foghat at the old County Stadium in Milwaukee in 1976.

Geezer Rock - those guys must be like 80 years old these days. Do they send a bus or an ambulance to pick them up at the Nursing Home?

When we opened for Al Hirt at RibFest years ago he was nine sheets to the wind so we had to keep playing while they tried to sober him up. Then a huge storm blew in and all hell broke loose so his concert was cancelled after one tune.