Update Update

[windshieldbug]

With 2 hours notice, I have become a hand bell player... I can adequately play one and likely 2 bells on 2 easy pieces.

How near do your tubas need to be to play their bells?

[opus37]

A tuba needs to be as far away as possible. These are English Handbells. All you need to do is know how to hold/ring them and to keep time. The performance went OK. I missed a few notes, but not different then the rest of the group. The audience loved it. I play tuba in a brass quintet for Easter Sunday. 2 services with 4 pieces. I am much more comfortable with that gig.

[alfredr]

I don't know about Marty, but I believe I have talked about gas and intestinal problems before. And that my wife's former doctor had gone underground after leaving the office /clinic / practice where she had been seeing my wife. She has resurfaced, seeing patients, including both of us. She says my gas is a symptom of an ulcer, (me? an ulcer?) suggested taking probiotics three times a day. And don't take aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen.

The container of probiotics says one daily, so trying to build up healthy flora and fauna in my system. One bottle of probiotic says it is formulated for gas and bloating. It includes propritary enzymes and lactobacillus strains, and costs much more than the other. So I am trying to take one of that and a couple of the other every day, and Beano once a day also since that contains enzymes too. After two months, maybe I am noticing some improvement. I almost think they are more effective taken between meals, rather than with meals.

Happy Easter to those of the Christian persuasion!

[opus37]

In the past, there was an annual handbell players convention (??) held in a suburb of Memphis in a huge room on a church campus.

They would always hire a brass quintet to play a few pieces with them arranged for brass and handbells.

One of the pieces this morning was Day of Resurrection. It had choir, brass quintet and handbells. It woke up everyone because it was the prelude. There is also handbells and brass accompaniment for Hallelujah Chorus.

Brian

[alfredr]

I would like to offer a testimonial for bloke's method for slow cooking a fully cooked ham. I did two of them for Easter. I took some pictures on my cellphone, which I am using now, but don't know how to post them.

Maybe I over did the cooking time a little? I put them in the smoker about 5:30 Saturday, left the fire burning at about 8:15, picked up our daughter when she got off work and went to Easter vigil. Got home about midnight, added more chunks and went to bed. Woke up about 3 to tend the fire and again about 6:30. Took the hams out about 10 to get ready to go to the other daughter's house to eat. Everyone said the ham was real good.

I found out I can keep a fire going for smoking without having to stay up all night. More to come, but first we have ham to eat.

Thanks, bloke!

Edited for typos: comma and space.

[arpthark]

I have about 1000x more fun playing the tuba as an amateur/semi-pro(?? gigs totaling $x,xxx/yr) than I ever did in the university setting. In college I worked myself into practice frenzy and developed symptoms reminiscent of mild FD—there was a point in time where bringing the mouthpiece to my face brought on light shaking. Now that I've changed my career trajectory slightly (music theory/research), playing the horn is more enjoyable than ever and I play enough that I still sound decent enough to get hired around town.

The ONLY thing I miss is the caliber of the ensembles. I play in a couple community groups that are decent, but in a high-energy ensemble with a good director where many of the players are now at places like Eastman or playing professionally, working on really challenging music was such a thrill. The best musical experiences of my life were not "tuba"-related but "music"-related, with everyone concentrating and playing at a very high level.

So, tuba-wise, my life has improved. Ensemble-wise, meh. But I am no place to complain.

[arpthark]

What tubas are you playing on now, Wade? I've seen you mention your Miraclone and Kurath F—do you still have your Holton? Little Yamaha F? We had some nice correspondence a while back re: your old Alex.

[opus37]

So, I got a e-mail from the band secretary asking if I was going to be playing the concert tonight, I responded, yes and she said Thank You. Well, that doesn't seem like much except that it has never happened before and she copied the other good tuba player. (We has 4 tubas, two of which can barely play second chair in a 6th grade band). I don't know what to make of this. Maybe they want me to go back to 2nd french horn played on an F tuba........ I'll find out tonight.

[sousaphone68]

John Gannon my section mate for many years is now a Guinnes World Record holder for the longest continous active membership of a band of 81 years and 5 days

[roweenie]

John Gannon my section mate for many years is now a Guinnes World Record holder for the longest continous active membership of a band of 81 years and 5 days.
http://www.stjamessband.ie/gallery/John ... er/59.html" target="_blank

That is incredible! Congratulations and best wishes to him!

I'll consider myself lucky to make it to 98 (with all my marbles a plus), let alone still able to play the tuba.....

[sousaphone68]

The band are playing for him at his local church in May to help celebrate and mark his 99th birthday.

[arpthark]

That is incredible!

[Three Valves]

That is incredible!

As incredible that someone else held the Guinness World Record or the longest continuous active membership of a band of 81 years and 4 days!!

[Biggs]

Friday was the first day I really felt like playing after a 3.5-month total break to deal with some other business, so I did a nice leisurely long-tone warm up that evening. Lost some endurance and muscle memory, but good to be back!

Also, a more important update: coffee is good.

[tofu]

Hasn't been an Update Update in half a month!

Saw Mr. Deeds Goes to Town for the first time over the weekend - had no idea it was about a Vermont tuba player that inherits $20 million. Gary Cooper plays the part and I'm wondering if he really played the tuba so I google it - and while he didn't play it comes back with the fact that Aretha Franklin played the tuba in her HS band. So the Queen of Soul is a tuba player. You have been updated.

[roweenie]

"Hin-du-stan, where the painted peacock proudly spreads his fan...."

[Dan Schultz]

I'm a-pickin' !


gee !!!

And I'm a grinnin'!

[Three Valves]

Hey Grandpa, what's for supper??

[scottw]

Anecdotally, I believe this, having had a terrible time with fleas on my cats last fall. Has there been some more scientific study released?

[Donn]

The stuff-on-the-shoulder-blades no longer works. I'm assuming: immune.

They use different pesticides. Fipronil, permethrin, who knows. Resistance is naturally going to come along, particularly where people aren't really rigorously following the treatment course. Just like antibiotics. There's also weather, not just mildness of the winter but also wetness of the summer; population of other host animals like possums.