The most fun you've ever had...

[arpthark]

-Playing Berlioz's Requiem and Symphonie Fantastique with my university orchestra as an undergrad

-Singing in the Latin chorale in Bernstein's Mass as a grad student

[tclements]

1 - San Diego Symphony @ Jack Murphy Stadium
2 - With the Scorpions
3 - 1974 All American College Band Disneyland, Anaheim
4 - Lord of the Rings (all 3 movies twice in 4 days)
5 - Solo recital Santa Clara University
6 - ANY time I get to play with the SF Symphony.

[Donn]

In a street downtown, cordoned off for a protest march, of which we were a part though I doubt any of us would recall the subject of the protest. The band has around for decades but personnel come and go from one time to the next. On this occasion it was a pretty good crew, and towards the finish they started pulling out tunes I've heard but never played. Mingus' "Fables of Faubus" is the one that I particularly remember. Playing America's classical music purely by ear, with some very fine horn players and if I remember right a great snare drum player. (I might have been playing bass sax, though, so not sure if it counts.) [edit - oh, audience ... yes, there must have been some people around, who knows what they thought about it.]

[bort]

A concert in 2005 in Wolkenstein, Italy. Community band tour, all American marches, show tunes, and other band stuff. Big audience, and they went absolutely NUTS for it! We played our whole show, plus 2 encores, then had to dig another piece out of the back of our folders that we hadn't really planned to perform. I think they would have just let us keep playing if we had any more music with us.

[Worth]

Getting to play Bydlo with a high level community orchestra a couple of years ago. Had just joined, was way nervous, did it on my Besson New Standard Euphonium and nailed the trudging oxcart feel technically and musically. Great accolades after, to include a comment from the conductor that she knew someone who didn't need a euphonium and could do it on their tuba. I asked what key tuba and she had no idea. I know many can, but that G# on my CC, for me, would have been a deal breaker. Wise choice, I think, and a great feeling after.

[EMC]

Band, playing Reeds "Praise Jerusalem" for a packed venue absolutely amazing feeling seeing hundreds of people standing cheering with tears coming down their faces, and
orchestra, probably playing Borodins second symphony for my mom who was in the crowd at the time. Great feeling

[Dan Schultz]

At seventy years old.... the old memory is not the greatest. So.... I'm going to go with yesterday and today playing with The Rhine Valley Brass at New Harmony's 'Kunstfest' from 1 to 4 both days preceded by an hour at the top of the Atheneum with an Alphorn trio to open the festival. http://www.newharmony-in.gov/

At my age... every day I can spend playing tuba or fixing them is a great experience!

[edsel585960]

I'd have to say 5 years ago the first year I played with Hafenkapelle at the Cape Coral FL Oktoberfest. Was a blast! Still fun but not as much as the first time. It's coming right up again.

[bearphonium]

In college, playing "Armenian Dances II" with Dr. Reed conducting for the National Music Educators Conference. We did a couple of premiers of pieces arranged for us, one by Bertold Hummel and one by Ida Gotkofsky as well. I was playing french horn then.

[southtubist]

Probably playing the entire Tchaikovsky Nutcracker ballet at Interlochen. We played in the pit, and the dance department went all out with props and the like. Great tuba parts, but that was only a small part of the experience- all those tacets were filled with some of the greatest ballet music written. Like, stuff I'd always heard on the radio, but in person! The horns and trombones were great, and it was my first public concert on an Alex- I think had only 2 weeks to get the intonation under control.

We did 4 shows in 3 days, so it was a little tiring. However, we did it right before Christmas break and it really fit. I never got to hear a recording, but my friends who watched said the low brass was loud.

Come to think of it, that was my first "serious" orchestra performance. I had played smaller works before then, but nothing like the Nutcracker. Now I don't play tuba seriously these days- I'm just another ole washed up had-been, but I'd go back and do it again.

[hduong]

getting to perform with the LA Phil in 2013 with the combined hornlines of the Santa Clara Vanguard, Vanguard Cadets and Pacific Crest @ The Hollywood Bowl performing 1812 Overture and Cappricio Italien.

[ibebikz]

In Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra playing Symphonic Metamorphosis in the side by side concert with the Dallas Wind Symphony.

[Billy M.]

Certainly in the top 5 would be playing the show Chicago which closed on my 21st birthday.

[Bob Kolada]

The Planets, Enigma Variations, and Festival Overture in brass band on euph, Eb, and Eb; the Music Man on bass trombone and Eb with my old orchestra; playing jazz in Alaska on F; and a fantastic Glenn Miller medley on a Rudy Bb with the Army in a small French town.

[Three Valves]

Come to think of it, today's first-of-the-year quintet rehearsal at The University of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ was pretty dang fun(ny). I probably shouldn't recall any of the fun here. (We're supposed to be "serious artists". )

Did it have anything to do with the last two rows of seats in that bus??

[tubeast]

Highest Goosebump factor:
First performance at World Music Contest Kerkrade 2005 with Sinfonisches Blasorchester Vorarlberg.
(Rob Goorhuis: "Variations on a Pentatonic Theme", Maurice Hamers: "Chakra" (world premiere), Christobal Halffter "Tientos del primer tono y batalla imperial")

We received the sheet music to Hamers´ piece four days before the contest.

Most fun experience: Coming back from a concert tour to Israel, customs wanted to see (and have testplayed) every single Instrument of our 65 piece band. Quite a hassle !
Started "Introducing the band" bassline groove. One section after the other came in on their cue to form a spontaneous concert that brought a smile to the customs- and security staff.

[Roger Lewis]

Sight reading a performance with the Boston Pops at Tanglewood under John Williams in front of about 14,000 people.

[pittbassdaddy]

Pitt marching band 2003 combined pregame show with Notre Dame band with roughly 500 musicians on the field, playing the last note of the Star Spangled Banner, I dropped it an octave to the pedal Bb. I must have done something right (and loud) because the director immediately looked right at me with a huge grin on his face.

[Tubajug]

Playing with the "Windjammers" circus band two years ago. That was probably the most fun I've ever had playing tuba. Not a whole note to be seen for days! From the very first downbeat, I was blown away by how well the group played and said to myself, "This is gonna be fun!" And boy was it fun...

A big shout-out to Dan Shultz for letting me know about that one!

[1895King]

My 20 plus years as member of The Maverick Band of the Great High Plains (1962-82). This band was started in 1954 by a group of Southern Nebraska and Northern Kansas men who had gotten acquainted in Shrine bands. They had such a good time that they decided to continue and open the membership to any instrumentalist. My mentor was an attorney in my hometown who was cousin of the director; he would take a carload of us to concerts which were held monthly in area towns. We played marches and circus music; sometimes the intonation was atrocious but we had fun. As one of my college friends who was also a member said, "it was made up of all the old coots who had ever played an instrument."