TubeNet

Hey everyone,

I just graduated from high school and I start college in the fall. I am getting a $3,000/year scholarship for tuba and other scholarships that pay for the rest of my expenses, i'm just missing one thing: a tuba. I have a two month break of no practicing and I NEED to play tuba. I have about $2,900 in savings, my parents just bought me a vehicle because buying a tuba instead of a vehicle didn't seem logical to them. If anyone has any advice for me please PM me. I have a job working 40 hours a week at minimum wage, so if you were going to suggest getting a job, I have one just couldn't get a better one. And I talked to my ex-high school band director and he said there aren't any available for me and my college is a good ways away and i'm unable to borrow a tuba from there. Although marching band is in the fall and it is ONLY marching band, symphonic band auditions are during band camp. I think if I just practice a little bit I have a great chance of making it, but if I am unable to practice I don't know. I really can't afford 2 months of no practice. Please help!

I cannot give any specific advice for your situation.

As for buying a tuba right now, I don’t it is the best point of time for you, as you don’t know enough about your future needs.

If renting a tuba is out of the question, there may be a reasonably local community band operating through the summer months, which would like you to play one of the tubas sitting unused in their storage room. Neither tuba nor band necessarily will be what you dream of, but your chops will be maintained through the summer.

Klaus

Your HS band director probably feels some investment in you. Does he have other contacts around? . . like community bands or other schools in the district? Do you have a guidance counselor? Are you near Disneyworld? (Just ideas.)

Congratulations on being one of the more ambitious students on the planet!

One thing's pretty much for certain... whatever you decide to buy won't be the last tuba you own. At this point, I think you should find something used that you can get your money back out of when you upgrade later.

You could always contact your future teacher for suggestions...

If that leads nowhere, maybe find a used inexpensive horn (As KiltieTuba suggested). Inexpensive 3 valve horns can usually be purchased and sold quite easily. That makes it less of a burden if you end up needing the money for another horn.

A few thoughts:

-- $2,900 in savings for a 17- or 18-year-old is GREAT, good job, that's a really smart move. Do NOT spend it all on a tuba, it's important to have a savings account.
-- I'm assuming you're not a music major?
-- Seems like you'll gross about $3,000 for your summer job, again, very good start!

If it were me, I'd probably look for some sort of an older rotary 4-valve Czech/German stencil BBb tuba. Something reliable and something well-used. A small 3v BBb would be good to honk around on, but would fall short with serious music in college. This guy (Jason) seems to have a business model that could fit your budget -- reconditioned used tubas at good prices: http://northernlowbrass.webs.com/apps/webstore/" target="_blank

Buying used is the way to go. Prices are pretty much stabilized after a certain age, and if you want to sell it later, you won't lose much money at all from what you paid.

Allen, replace your email and phone number with "PM me". This IS the internet, after all.

bloke wrote:Please don't buy a tuba under financial or time duress. If you'll be in marching band, that will get you back into playing the tuba in time for school...

...and yeah, I would suggest removing your email and phone number from your post.

Agree. Use the (forced) time away from the tuba to do "something different". Work on breathing, mouthpiece buzzing, sight singing, weight training, swimming,... Play the piano, or the harmonica, the guitar, or percussion. Broaden out.

Anything you buy now will take you 2 months to get adjusted to, fix minor problems, etc.
By the time you settle in...it will be time to start school and everything will change again.
It's just not worth it.

bloke wrote:Please don't buy a tuba under financial or time duress. If you'll be in marching band, that will get you back into playing the tuba in time for school...

...and yeah, I would suggest removing your email and phone number from your post.

+1.

You are in a temporary situation right now. Don't buy something just to get you through a couple of months.

Use some creativity to figure a way to get access to something in the short term. If you're unsuccessful - then you might be amazed and the progress your technique makes from spending a couple of months doing nothing but proper mouthpiece buzzing and ear training (learning your intervals, solfege, etc.)

Two months of working on increasing air flow (which mostly means taking more air in when you take a breath, relaxing, etc.), improving ("thickening") the mouthpiece buzz tone, and working on learning intervals and nailing them on the mouthpiece - and man, you will like the results.

(The benefits you would get from that would far outweigh the potential short-term impact of possibly not making the symphonic band during your first year of college. Your freshman year will come and go before you know it.)

And yeah, that's what a 40-something guy realizes he "shoulda" done the summer before his freshman year, not what he actually did . . .

the Cerveny Kaiser on the for sale forum should be ample to get you through freshman yr + ...at $2000 with bag, case , mute ...gets you up and running...not my horn- dont know the seller-
Dillons has an Amati 4 v BBb - $1700 ...another good enough horn !
Good luck !

Thanks for all of the great advice! I am in average, maybe slightly above average, shape... especially compared to other tuba players I have met. But i'm going to start a cardio workout program, practice my buzzing, and continue saving for a tuba.I'm going to send a bunch of emails to local band directors and my tuba instructor. Some more things I forgot to mention: I plan on majoring in music education and aspire to either be a tuba professor or a professional tuba player. Also, I said I had a 3K/ year scholarship (that is the most they give to non double reeds) and I have the rest of my college paid for through my academic and need-based scholarships. And as far as location, i live in the panhandle of florida (northwest part of florida). Again, thanks for the help.

Uhmm, " . non-double reeds . " You might also start developing a tuba-centric network . . . to learn what's out there.

Great news! A local band director (not my high school band director) is going to let me borrow a tuba!!

Kingofspadesx200 wrote:Great news! A local band director (not my high school band director) is going to let me borrow a tuba!!

Excellent! Now...make sure you "pay it forward" by returning the tuba in better condition than when you receive it. This
will increase the chances that he will do it again for another student some time in the future.

Kingofspadesx200 wrote:Great news! A local band director (not my high school band director) is going to let me borrow a tuba!!

That's wonderful. In exchange, ask if the teacher has a struggling student you might help him with.

Way ahead of you on that, I offered to help him in anyway he would need. Such as helping a student or yard work haha