TubaForum.net

Since I’ve been a member here, my friends have always been on line only, until now! Our fellow member, jonesbrass, owns a place in my area but is only here a couple of months a year. He contacted me inquiring about a place he could do some playing while he was here. I got him hooked up with our community band. We played a concert together at our local county fair and will be playing another concert soon at a “Highland Games” Scottish festival. Yesterday we met up at his place and played some duets. We did the Nelhybel duets and some Perantoni Bach arrangements. I was able to keep up pretty well until we got to about #10 in the Nelhybel. I felt pretty good about that, only being 2 years into my “comeback” journey, but I sure do need to work on my higher range a bit more! Jonesbrass, along with being an excellent player, is also great guy and fun to be with. We have been talking almost as much as we’ve been playing. About what? Tubas! What else? All in all a great time together and a good friend made.

warning: This post wanders off-topic, and - towards the end - sort-of sounds like bragging...but STARTS OFF being topical...so you MAY WISH to scroll past.

I meet a bunch of tuba players because they drive here (some, from pretty far) for me to work on their instruments.
It's really good, because most of them stay overnight (or two days), and I get to know them fairly well.

flawed logic:
I should have a tuba player work on my tuba.

logic:
I should have someone who is skilled and pays attention to details work on my tuba.

flawed logic:
A tuba player can make my tuba play in tune.

logic:
A tuba player - who is skilled, and pays attention to details - might (??) be able to determine if shortening or lengthening my tuba would make it easier to deal with its intonation

reality:
LOCALLY, the very best and most picky brass players (trumpet, horn, trombone - and their students who are recommended to me) have me work on their instruments. Many others go to the big store, or go to the guy (with work benches in his garage) who talks himself up.

bloke "I have more than enough to do."

Don is a true gentleman. We’ve had a blast playing since I got up here. He was kind enough to let me play his King 2341 . . . A fine example of American brass. Valves are butter smooth, too!
Maybe the next time I come up we should see if we can take a tour of Conn-Selmer’s King manufacturing facility in Eastlake, Ohio . . . I think there might be a few of us who could have fun with that!