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Hey guys! I'm currently a high school sophomore, and I sit first chair in my state ( Georgia ). I'm 100.00% positive that I want to pursue a career in performance, and I have a question about my horn. ( I really don't want to hear about how there's no money to be made in performance because of the paucity of jobs. Don't mean to offend, I just hate when people tell me that. ) I'm currently playing on a Miraphone 186-4U, which is my own personal horn. I know I'll have to get a CC at some point, but I was looking for some input as to whether it would be to my benefit to get it BEFORE I graduate high school. Thanks guys!

Honestly if I'm going to make the investment for a horn, I'm not going to go cheap. I would probably say no more than ten big ones.

My Private teacher never played CC. He's a band director, which isn't to discredit his playing ability. He's a beast. I've taken a lesson with Don Strand, and I'm going to take one with David Zerkel next month hopefully and I'll ask his opinion. I'm also going to be *Hopefully* studying with Bernard Flythe (Don't know if anyone knows him) a little, so I'll definitely ask his opinion. The frontrunners on my list of schools right now are the University of Georgia, Eastman, Julliard, Florida State, and possibly some other conservatories, so I'll definitely take your advice and contact some teachers to see what they think. T
Thanks guys!

I don't really know much about the convention to be honest.. I've just always assumed it was a "college kids and band directors" deal. And plus I live several hours from Savannah.

I'm from about an hour north of Atlanta.

I've read a lot of posts in passing and I've definitely picked up on the sarcasm. But thanks for your help!

Get a CC as soon as you can, and don't look back.

That's a great budget. Some great Miraphone and MW. Also used Hirsbrunner and Gronitz can be found for that budget. I would recommend a piston tuba since it is easier for maintenance(i play rotory MW Tuono,great horn with great sound,open low register and super tune,but a lot of maintenance things to do on the rotors).

You can find a horn that will more than meet your needs for years to come for $5000 or so. It probably won't be new or shiny, but it will do what you need it to do. Blowing $10,000 at your age is nonsense -whether or not you want to hear it. You will be surprised how much your needs and ability will change in just a few years. If you seriously plan on going for a performance degree you would really want to talk to your professor. While you may think retirement etc. are a long way off you will surprised how quickly life flies by.

If you spend $5000 and keep $5000 and I'm guessing you are around 15 years old -- here is what it would be worth based on the historical average return of a 10 year treasury note which is 5% and considered for benchmark purposes as a risk less return (not withstanding what Bloke thinks of the value of US Currency )

5% compounded for 45 years results in a value of $47,431.27 when you are 60 years old. The average 60 year old today has about $60,000 saved for retirement which means they are woefully ill prepared and will have to work well into their sunset years. Your almost 50m made by not blowing it on a shiny new object means you will have a nice piece of your retirement nest egg in place. If you take some risk and invest that $5000 in the stock market which has a historical rate of 9% to 11% (depending on the type of equities) your return on the $5000 would be $241,636.43 @9% and @11% $547,651.21

Better yet use the free school horn - many colleges also have free horns and invest the whole 10 grand. Don't be a 75 year old bagging groceries at the local supermarket and living on cat food.

So if you think $5000 here or there at your age doesn't have an impact on the rest of your life - you would be wrong.

Tubadude999 wrote:I'm currently playing on a Miraphone 186-4U, which is my own personal horn. I know I'll have to get a CC at some point, but I was looking for some input as to whether it would be to my benefit to get it BEFORE I graduate high school. Thanks guys!

So you have your own, quality horn? Sounds like you're set for a long time, other "quality" comments aside.

Oh no question it's a great horn, and I definitely plan on keeping it in addition to other horns, but my biggest dream is to be an orchestral player at some point in my life, and from what I've heard ( which isn't all that much, so I could be wrong ) most of the orchestral guys play on CC's.

KiltieTuba wrote: you need to get a couple of tuners and metronomes

Whoops, you let something he actually does need to do (if he hasn't yet) slip in there...

Definitely have those

Miraphone 186 is probably the best regarded tuba of the last 50 years. Everybody wants a new horn, but you already have a very nice one. Best of luck to you!

News flash: it ain't the horn. Now excuse me while I order anew horn and 2 new mouthpieces

tofu wrote:[Money...]

Nothing personal, but your comment made me think... in general (with ANYTHING, like cars, houses, and yes, tubas), a person's budget represents what they personally want to do with their own money. It's none of my business. If someone comes to me and asks what I think is the best $30,000 car, I'll tell them what I think, and not that a $15,000 Honda Civic has the same number of wheels and also has an engine and uses gasoline. In the context of tubas, we think that kind of answer makes sense.

Also, a person's budget represents what they have decided to spend. A person who says "I want to spend $10,000 on a tuba" could be a person who actually $20,000, or $50,000, or $100,000 available to them, and they are deciding to use $10,000 on the tuba. Yes, it's nice to save money. But if you have it, then why not spend it. (I also realize there are people who have $5,000, and want a $10,000 tuba!).

Even if a person has exactly $10,000 and wants a $10,000 tuba, that's none of my business. Maybe the person wants a Hirsbrunner and doesn't mind eating 10 for $1.00 ramen noodles for the next year or two. Budgets are about tradeoffs, and deciding what to do with your money. I'm sure other people would look at my budget and wonder why the hell I would live in such a very small apartment that costs more than a decent mortgage. But that's a tradeoff, and one I'm willing to make.

Again, nothing personal, I just think people get really bent out of shape about this stuff.

And again, my answer is, if you want to spend $10k on a tuba, do it and play the snot out of that tuba. I have a tuba friend who must be almost 80 years old now, and bought a Fafner a few years ago. His words were something like "Why not? You only go around once!"

58mark wrote:Anybody who doesn't acknowledge that certain instruments aren't a significant upgrade over a a 186 BBb either aren't being honest, or I question their judgement.

Along these lines, if a spectacular player shows up at Juilliard or Eastman (for example) with a 186 BBb, how long do you think that student would remain on that instrument?

Really fine player, he would sound good on anything.

Yes!

I'm only being hypothetical to avoid putting words into peoples' mouths. I just think that more often than not, the top level conservatory teachers probably lean more towards CC. f I were lucky enough to get accepted into such a school, I'd check my ego at the door and listen and learn as much as possible. If that means changing to CC and I don't understand why, then maybe it's just something I just need to take the person's word for, and I'll learn later on. And then if I disagree, I can go back later.

Maybe I'm wrong.

And if so, I still think CC makes more sense. Why start with 2 flats?

You're such an agitator.