Good colleges for tuba

[tbn.al]

I don't believe anyone has mentioned Tim Northcutt at Cinncinati, and somebody should. So I did.

[LoyalTubist]

If you go to a university without a tuba teacher, you can choose the best tuba teacher in the area who will take you as a student. When I went for my M.Mus. in Church Music/Tuba Concentration I was able to study with Everett Gilmore of the Dallas Symphony. He was one of the best teachers I ever had. And a great friend, too.

I miss him.

[hbcrandy]

Juilliard has a superb tuba teacher, David Fedderly, of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Dave studied EXTENSIVELY with Arnold Jacobs and probably knows Mr. Jacobs' methods better than anyone.

Also, consider Dave Zirkel in Athens, Georgia.

I would also like to second the recommendation of Don Harry at Eastman.

[THE TUBA]

Use Basement Register + Google. There are tons of great places out there to study tuba.

[Eric B]

I love how no one lists the University of Arkansas... Ben Pierce is one of the best euphonium players in the world AND he's just as good on tuba.

UofA's where it's at, just sayin'.

Agreed....I don't have enough superlatives to describe Dr. Pierce's artistry on both instruments.

http://www.benpierce.com" target="_blank

[sloan]

There's only one reason to go to "college for tuba". It's so you can come back 40 years later and do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0rlC9j-IgU" target="_blank" target="_blank"

[NOTE: *all* of the Sousaphones shown were alums - four were borrowed, one brought her own]

[MileMarkerZero]

I'm going to throw one out there that seems a little odd, but is actually a pretty good choice:
Middle Tennessee State in Murfreesboro, TN. AFAIK, the teacher is Gil Long, tubist for the Nashville Symphony for 3 decades, and a pretty good teacher from what i have heard (I've never studied with him). But even more important is the proximity to one of the most active music cities in the world. People hear "Nashville" and they see pedal-steel guitars and goat-roper hats. But the music scene in Nashville is so much more than that. On any given night, there are 50 bands playing in the dowtown area, and the styles run the gamut from acoustic bluegrass, to metal, to pop, to jazz, to...you name it. The opportunities for gigging are immense, even as an undergrad. Even tuba players. Now, you won't get many gigs if you limit yourself to band, BQ, and churches. But if you are willing to put in the work to become a good backing musician, you can get work. The last time I was in Nashville, I saw 2 different bands in 2 different bars on Broadway with tuba players, and they sounded great.

Even if you don't play a lot in the downtown scene, just being exposed on a regular basis to some of the incredible musicians down there is an education in and of itself.

[tubadood5150]

Cleveland Institute of Music- Ron Bishop
Cleveland State University- Gary Adams
Baldwin Wallace College- Yasuhito Sugiyama

[NDSPTuba]

From my perspective, a great school to study at would need more than a great tuba professor. It would need high quality students in all studios. Some of the recommendations are all about what a great tuba professor is at the school, but I would be willing to bet that few and definitely not all of the other studios would have any quality and/or depth of quality of students. If you desire to become a professional performer then it would behoove you to be surround yourself with other students that have the same professional aspirations in quality large and chamber ensembles to give you as much real world/close to real world playing experience as you can get while in school. Playing at a professional level, aside from the physical skill, requires very high levels of concentration and practice at maintaining high levels of concentration for extended periods of times during long pieces. It is just not possible to get that kind of experience when playing with hacks. Inaccurate rhythm, bad intonation, unobserved dynamics, and just bad playing make it nearly impossible to attain professional level experience and ability on your part. That is why a great school of music is just as if not more important than a great tuba professor.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

From my perspective, a great school to study at would need more than a great tuba professor. It would need high quality students in all studios. Some of the recommendations are all about what a great tuba professor is at the school, but I would be willing to bet that few and definitely not all of the other studios would have any quality and/or depth of quality of students. If you desire to become a professional performer then it would behoove you to be surround yourself with other students that have the same professional aspirations in quality large and chamber ensembles to give you as much real world/close to real world playing experience as you can get while in school. Playing at a professional level, aside from the physical skill, requires very high levels of concentration and practice at maintaining high levels of concentration for extended periods of times during long pieces. It is just not possible to get that kind of experience when playing with hacks. Inaccurate rhythm, bad intonation, unobserved dynamics, and just bad playing make it nearly impossible to attain professional level experience and ability on your part. That is why a great school of music is just as if not more important than a great tuba professor.

+1. Excellent post. Don't forget to listen to some ensembles and review their recent accomplishments when considering a school home.

[sloan]

From my perspective, a great school to study at would need more than a great tuba professor. It would need high quality students in all studios. Some of the recommendations are all about what a great tuba professor is at the school, but I would be willing to bet that few and definitely not all of the other studios would have any quality and/or depth of quality of students. If you desire to become a professional performer then it would behoove you to be surround yourself with other students that have the same professional aspirations in quality large and chamber ensembles to give you as much real world/close to real world playing experience as you can get while in school. Playing at a professional level, aside from the physical skill, requires very high levels of concentration and practice at maintaining high levels of concentration for extended periods of times during long pieces. It is just not possible to get that kind of experience when playing with hacks. Inaccurate rhythm, bad intonation, unobserved dynamics, and just bad playing make it nearly impossible to attain professional level experience and ability on your part. That is why a great school of music is just as if not more important than a great tuba professor.

Excellent points - but take it to the next level: a high school student looking at "college for tuba" really needs to concentrate on the "college" part, and not so much the "tuba" part. As you point out, it's probably better to be in a great music school with an average tuba professor than an average music school with a great tuba professor. For one thing, schools CHANGE much more slowly than tuba professors - that great player/teacher who interviewed you may be gone by your sophomore year...and then what?

But also consider the *possibility* that college may change your life (well, duh, that's what it's *supposed* to do). No matter how well thought out - the chance that you will graduate with exactly the degree you thought you would when you applied is...perhaps 50% (and perhaps lower).

What do you do when you discover that Tuba Performance is no longer your primary goal in life? Are there other programs in the School of Music that are as good as that "great tuba teacher"? [this is another reason to look at the entire School of Music]. Taking it further - suppose you develop an interest in Philosophy, or Economics, or Persian Poetry? Are *those* departments any good?

That's one side of the equation. The other is: how good are *you*? What are your grades like? How strong a player are you? Why should that school with the great tuba teacher want you? Since we don't know you - we can't possibly recommend a school for you. It's not about finding "the best school" - it's about finding the school that is the best fit for you.

The first question is: do they have the program I'm interested in. That's the question you are asking now. But...there are more questions that follow. Is the DEPARTMENT good across the board? Is the School good across the board? Is the COLLEGE of generally high quality.

I think that most high school students would be best served by FIRST figuring out what kind of school and then what particular schools are good fits overall (do you want to live in the city or the country? In a small liberal arts school or a Division I-A football power? Will they accept *you*? Where do you fit in the distribution of students at that school (geographic location, SAT/ACT scores, ability to pay the tuition, ect.). Once you have a list of 20 schools (ranging from "if I get accepted I'll sell my soul to attend" to "any idiot can get accepted there, and I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world") - NOW is the time to ask about the Music program, the quality of the STUDENTS in the Music program, and then about the Tuba Professor.

If you work it right, a strong connection to the tuba professor (visit, interview, audition....he loves you) can get you admitted to a college that otherwise might not accept you. THAT is where you want to go!

DO NOT allow your attraction to a single faculty member (that great tuba professor) convince you to attend a school that would otherwise be beneath your standards. Undergraduate years should not be an apprenticeship.

Note that this changes (not completely reversed, but in that direction) when you start thinking about grad school. Almost everyone changes their major (or wishes they could) as an undergraduate. Almost no one does it as a grad student.

[J Stowe]

I realize that rocks are gonna fly at my head after suggesting this, but.. My suggestion is to go to the nearest state school that has a good reputation. Taking out as few loans as possible should be the goal. I was fortunate enough to have an excellent teacher at a school with a respectable music department. Then!!.. Depending on how well you play, apply to get a master's with a teacher that you admire. If you play well enough, you'll get that position, or hopefully land a job. If not, at least you saved some money before you go into another field. Undergrad is about learning music, not just the tuba.

This advise isn't geared directly towards the OP, but other young students as well.

[SRanney]

I realize that rocks are gonna fly at my head after suggesting this, but..

I wouldn't worry. My post was (obviously) viewed as being so far out in left field that it was completely ignored, and the snowballing and pointalistic list of teachers continued to steamroll right over it.

Frankly, bloke, I thought your post was spot on. It was just off topic to the original posters question.

[capt_tuba]

UMKC Tom Stein
University of Kansas Scott Watson
University of Arkansas Fayetteville Ben Pierce
Penn State Velvet Brown

It all really depends on what you want to do. If you wanna be a player or just do music and become a teacher, what kinda player you are, do you have a big orchestral "east coast" sound or the "west coast" solo style. Another good place is University of George if David Zerkel is still there but it have been away for a while so I don't know. Happy hunting.

[Slamson]

I think it's good to consider perhaps that the "college" doesn't always make the player... if it did we'd all want to go to the University of North Dakota.

More succinctly put, it makes sense to consider your (and your parent's) pocketbook, and find an environment that lets you grow as a musician and as a person. Unlike physicians, you're not going to recoup those gigabucks in student loans as soon as you nail that gig with a regional orchestra.

Go someplace with a teacher you like, who has a good reputation, and can offer you experience outside of the music building, like throwing you an occasional gig in the "real world" once you've developed some chops.

[tubajoe]

This is what I tell my students:
If you want to perform out in the world, it's best if a school has these qualities:


1.) a World Class teacher - one that is connected, experienced and well respected as a performer and as a teacher, and can actively play in a manner that you want to play. Also, you will want a teacher who is dedicated to your success and who you can interact with on a regular basis, as there is a lot to learning that goes beyond the horn.

2.) Great ensembles, and lots of em - in school, you absolutely do not want to be a big fish in a small pond. You want your performance situations to push you hard.

3.) Lots of uber-motivated students - you'll learn almost as much from your peers as you do from your professors. A large supportive studio full of great players will help keep you motivated and inspired. (see #2)

4.) Be adjacent to/interfaced with a large metropolitan area where there is a bustling music scene - schools are usually vested in their local music communities. As you progress at school IT'S IMPERATIVE that you branch out BEYOND the school (this is a BIG issue that many schools overlook) simply so you have somewhere to apply, experiment with and eventually showcase all the great stuff you've been taught (and paid for) in school. The way you get gigs is to do gigs, and the stuff you learn does not really make sense and truly sink in until you've used it out in the world for a while. Don't wait until you are out of school to get your hands dirty!!


Certainly there are exceptions to every rule -- but I firmly believe these are good rules of thumb for aspiring performers.

[sloan]

Audition a bunch of teachers until you find one you can obviously out-play...

...You can get a degree at that school and won't have to waste a bunch of time practicing the tuba when you're busy doing your assignments for your Secondary Education courses.

Yup - that's how the basketball players do it.