TubaChristmas Article

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

You should all read this article about one man's experiences with familial tuba playing. I will admit that parts of it offended me, but it is worth a look
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/displa ... 9ceeb9dfd5" target="_blank

[bort]

You should all read this article about one man's experiences with familial tuba playing. I will admit that parts of it offended me, but it is worth a look.

Link?

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

Crap! Adding it now.

[bighonkintuba]

I think the article is fine.

TubaChristmas is what it is:
Fun to play, somewhat (though not always) musical and, once the novelty wears off after a few tunes, about as interesting as the average community or high school band concert.

[opus37]

I have a nephew that has been upgraded from trumpet to tuba about 2 months ago. He is going to play in Tuba Christmas with 10 of his friends. They are all thrilled. I have played off and on for 20 years. It is always special to me. You may not think much of the experience, but for some of us, it is a key part of the magical season. It's not for you, it is about making the season special for others.

[bort]

The article: I could barely make it through this guy's bloviating about what should have been a relatively interesting topic to me. Too cynical, too snarky... well-written, but completely not my style.

TubaChristmas: I think it makes a lot more sense in public spaces. Too many TC concerts are in churches and schools, and yes, they get boring to attend, even as a player. But the outdoor and very public concerts are all around much better. My opinion only.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

I have a nephew that has been upgraded from trumpet to tuba about 2 months ago. He is going to play in Tuba Christmas with 10 of his friends. They are all thrilled. I have played off and on for 20 years. It is always special to me. You may not think much of the experience, but for some of us, it is a key part of the magical season. It's not for you, it is about making the season special for others.

What are you talking about? I was referring to how he made fun of the instrument.

Calm down.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

For the record, I too love TubaChristmas.

[edtheorg]

Attending a Tuba Christmas concert 11 years ago got me back into music 45 years after high school. Now I play in a community band, a civil war brass band and Tuba Christmas.
edtheorg

[The Big Ben]

I've played in TC five or six times. All of the times, it was in a public place (usually a shopping mall stage) and "the people" really liked it. In talking with other players, I found out that some took a "TubaChristmas Tour" each year and planned to go to three or four in a season. One year, two women wanted to pose for a picture with me and my tuba. They were fascinated with my tuba and wanted to hold it. Sure, why not? Anything for the fans...

I haven't had the experience some describe of having to deal with a horde of middle/high schoolers playing the Blat-o-Phone and acting like baboons. There were quite a few kids accompanied by adults who were playing tubas and bariphoniums so maybe that's why the kids were fine. It is fun and really the only time I get to perform for "the public" so I enjoy it.

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

I've played in TC five or six times. All of the times, it was in a public place (usually a shopping mall stage) and "the people" really liked it. In talking with other players, I found out that some took a "TubaChristmas Tour" each year and planned to go to three or four in a season. One year, two women wanted to pose for a picture with me and my tuba. They were fascinated with my tuba and wanted to hold it. Sure, why not? Anything for the fans...

I haven't had the experience some describe of having to deal with a horde of middle/high schoolers playing the Blat-o-Phone and acting like baboons. There were quite a few kids accompanied by adults who were playing tubas and bariphoniums so maybe that's why the kids were fine. It is fun and really the only time I get to perform for "the public" so I enjoy it.

The one in Chicago has always had many, many baboons playing blatophone, which does sometimes take away from the atmosphere, especially for those of us who don't suck.

[1895King]

I've been doing TubaChristmas for over 30 years with a few years when there was none here in Great Falls. My first was in Denver in 1979 where we had over 300; I did that one at least 3 more times over the years. I look forward to it each year; 6 years ago I had spent 10 days in the hospital with congestive heart failure followed by another 10 days in a rehab unit. One evening I was taken down to the dining room and, to my surprise, several of my friends were there to serenade us.

Our main event is tomorrow evening at the annual Christmas Stroll. We will also perform at a retirement home, a church (maybe two), and a high school Christmas concert.

I'm thinking of driving to Missoula next Friday to play in their event.

[MrBasseyPants]

The one in Chicago has always had many, many baboons playing blatophone, which does sometimes take away from the atmosphere, especially for those of us who don't suck.

Hey Now! My fellow baboons and I always strive to put on a quality concert at the Palmer House!

I love playing Tuba Christmases. I did a bunch back in middle school and high school with Norlan Bewley (apparently we got to debug some of the modern arrangements we all read today). I did a couple in college and then took a bunch of years off. I have played in Chicago since 2007....and for the last few years, I have done a tour of three to four each year.

My favorite part of Tuba Christmas is seeing all of the unique instruments. We are truly a unique bunch. I also enjoy the oddity of bringing a HUGE sousaphone....and then playing the upper part on it.

I also bring a big cheering section....so it makes me feel like a Tuba rock star. ...which is surprisingly different than being an actual rock star...

jc

[tofu]

Oh, I don't think there is much to get offended about if you read it in the right light. I think in a way it's written like Jean Shepherd's "A Christmas Story" and like Ralphie it's an ode from a son to a dad's lovable eccentricities. If you go to a TubaChristmas expecting to perform great masterpieces you will be disappointed. It's about the fellowship and the embracing of the unique character of the instrument. And really what other instrument has a large ongoing oppourtunity for people of all ages and talent levels to get together, play music and interact. The younger kids really seem to have a good time and I think that helps them embrace the instrument and feel part of a much larger community of like minded people. And lets face it - most people who play the tuba are a different breed - people, who like the instrument, don't take on airs. Occassionally you run into a tuba snob - but not often. I've always enjoyed the huge Chicago spectacle - yeah you had the few HS Sousaphone blatt idiots, but that was always more than made up by Havey Phillips absolute passion for the instrument and running the Chicago event. The mall type ones are a different animal all together - I've avoided those as I just avoid malls period.

OTOH, the very small non-sanctioned tuba ensemble playing XMAS tunes can be a lot of fun and quite musical. We will do a 4 euphs/4 tubas out in the lobby for 20-30 minutes or so prior to our annual televised band concert this Sunday and the audience walking through the lobby into the hall really seems to enjoy it. It's a very tuba friendly space which always helps with the clarity of sound with a tuba ensemble.

[bearphonium]

First off, I enjoyed the article. I am doing the scramble today getting ready to host the Eugene/Springfield Oregon Tuba Carol Concert tomorrow. Beginning in 1979 and for several years after that, the group gathered in the open air Eugene Downtown Mall to play "Tuba Christmas" until the Harvey Phillips Organization came down upon us because (gasp!) we were not using the Harvey Phillips Tuba Christmas (c) books, and therefore could not use the term "Tuba Christmas". Instead, we used a book "Carols for Low Brass" compiled by David Grosvenor, an Englishman who studied at the University of Oregon and had arranged 50 or so Christmas tunes for 4-part harmony. So, we changed the name of the event to Tuba Carol Concert and continued to play. Some years later (mid 1990's I believe; and after the formation of the Oregon Tuba Ensemble since playing at Christmas was so fun we decided to play year round) the event moved to Springfield Or. (just across the Wilamette River) and has played as part of the Springfield Christmas Parade ever since. The Tuba Carol Concert precedes the start of the parade, so that the audience can listen to the music, then watch the parade. We have incorporated music arranged by Dave Werden, Rodger Vaughn, and our director, Andy Schanz to augment the carols arranged by David Grosvenor. We average 50-70 participants each year, and are fortunate enough that almost everyone is musically able to play the tunes with some accuracy and little blatting.

My first participation in this event was in 2007, after returning to the music world. Later that year, I went to Salem, OR for their Tuba Christmas (Salem limits their event to 100 registrants, and plays indoors in the Elsinore Theater. It sells out every year, and is televised on their local public TV station. I have not been to Portland's Tuba Christmas (outdoors on Pioneer square; based on photos I would estimate 200 people play every year including the Oregon Marching Band Sousaphone Section; we can't get them recently because they're playing for the football team in a league championship game) due to scheduling conflicts. I am now the President of the Oregon Tuba Association, as I said at the beginning, scrambling to get ready for our event tomorrow.

[bighonkintuba]

A BIG shout out to the Lawrence (NJ) Community Concert Band (http://www.lawrenceband.org/" target="_blank) for covering the musician registration fee for the second annual Princeton, NJ TubaChristmas on December 6. The organizer and conductor each did a terrific job and the 25 musician (10 euphonium; 15 tuba) ensemble sounded great. This gets my vote for the best organized/most musical TubaChristmas in the immediate NYC/NJ metro area.

[bort]

most musical

^ Not the point of TC.

It's a joke.