For what it's worth, one of the hottest girls in my college SOM told me that skinny tuba players get all the women. She doesn't appear to be on drugs, so I can only figure skinny tuba players must be a novelty item to some. Hmm...
1/2 japanese, 1/2 white
5'8" ( i like to say 5-9)
135.....
christuba wrote:You know the stereotype that all of us tuba players look like lineman?
A lineman?
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Not me, I'm scared of hights. No, I take that back. I'm not scared of hights, I'm not even afraid of falling, I'm afraid of the sharp impact that awaits me at the end of the fall.
They did try to recruit me for Football AND Wrestling when I was
in High School, back then 5' 11" and 200lbs, my height is
in my torso, so yes, gorilla like.
I could'nt conceive of leaving Band to play a Sport, loved playing
that Tuba!
It's the M&M 4RV sold on eBay, made by Song-Lin in China,
All the axes I currently play are listed in my signature
I also have a Boosey & Hawkes G bass trombone, has
a long slide that has a handle to help reach sixth and seventh
position, haven't had the time to learn the new G Keyed
positions.
At band tryout (the day I fell in love with tuba),I weighed 110 and stood 5'3"tall.My first toot lit up a large room with bass-type eminations.Wow!
I was fortunate to see a jazz funeral in New Orleans recently.The tuba player in the jazz band would blatt a note every other step(the song was "The Old Rugged Cross) and due to the fact that the streets were brick and the buildings were brick and wrought iron,the tuba sound was parting people's hair for six blocks ahead of him and three blocks behind.This guy was my size,now,5'11" 220,had snow on his roof like I do and was still able to thrill thousands of spectators acoustically.with his Conn sousie.Reminded me of that first time and why I love the power of this instrument.
tubatooter1940
Yeah, I fit the stereotype pretty well. A couple of years back in high school I was a defensive tackle/nose guard. I'm about 5'11" and 240 lbs. I didn't even have to try-out for the team. The coach looked at me and put on the team. Now, I have knee problems and I had to have knee surgery. Glad I stuck with the tuba, I'm much better at it than football...
harold wrote:Then the real question for an in depth sociological study is whether a specific personality type is attracted to the instrument or whether the instrument has some influence on the personality of the player.
I vote for the horn influencing the player.
Sure, here's an initial infauation most of us had with the bass, and it's power. But I've seen too many people that were forced to play tuba at first that aquired the personality. Even trumpet players cannot withstand the force the horn has.
Re: "Never met an unfriendly tuba player". It is so odd when you do. There is this one fellow I know who speaks to no one. He is a great player. I assume he has a lot going on in his life.
Along those same lines, women low brass players can be be quite stand offish, as they are used to be getting hit on ALL the time. Big fish in small ponds, they sometimes grow very large egos.
Re: trumpets. I was playing at the UNLV trombone thing a few years ago and I took my bass trombone to the back row, where it became clear I was not part of the gang. I recognized a friend sitting in the fourths and joined him as this is a two day affair and no place to be unhappy for that duration. I mentioned it to the facillitator in an email afterwards and he apologized for the bass trombonists, "acting like trumpet players".
harold wrote:Then the real question for an in depth sociological study is whether a specific personality type is attracted to the instrument or whether the instrument has some influence on the personality of the player.
I never, ever fit in as a violinist; couldn't figure out why those people were so damn competetive and stuck up. Then I switched to horn and found a whole raft of people I liked; then when I started tuba I swear I found my niche....tuba players are just flat out the nicest people I've ever found. I think the person is attracted to the instrument, and those who fit, stay.
Jonathantuba wrote:
All the tubists I have ever met, have been really nice people - they are always the first to help out at concerts, etc. You could never mistake a tubist for a violinist!
As long as we substitute "most" for "all," I can agree. MOST of the people I talked with at the Army Band Conference were really nice people. There was this one jerk, however....
MaryAnn wrote:I never, ever fit in as a violinist; couldn't figure out why those people were so damn competetive and stuck up. Then I switched to horn and found a whole raft of people I liked; then when I started tuba I swear I found my niche....tuba players are just flat out the nicest people I've ever found. I think the person is attracted to the instrument, and those who fit, stay.
MaryAnn, I don't think it's being stuck-up; I think it's more of a case of insecurity. Violinists get genuine solos and are judged ruthlessly on what comes out of their instrument and face the prospect of jillions of Suzuki kids making their way up through the ranks, waiting to take their job.
Not the way I'd want to make a living, that's fer sure.
I note that they warm up quite a bit iif you toss 'em a compliment or two on their playing.
There is a bit of self-selection, but more likely there is some selection by the beginning band director. I'm sure mine saw me walk into the 7th-grade call for band recruits, and immediately perceived someone who could sit in that Wenger tuba chair and reach the mouthpiece using only two bits.
Rick "who passed 200 pounds in the 8th grade" Denney
(Not trumpet ones I hope
)
