What instrument did you start your musical career on?

[Tubatasm]

What instrument did you start your musical career on?

I borrowed a clarinet from my aunt in 4th grade. Tried to teach that to myself for a week or two, but soon gave up. 6th grade I join choir, and in 7th I was in both choir and band (on the tuba). 9th grade rolled around, my band director mentioned needing a trombone player, so I put myself up to the challenge. By the end of the year I was alright. last year, my sophmore year, I switched to bass trombone and got even better, joined a community/junior college band on bass trombone (but I'm going to see if I can play tuba this season). I'm planning on joining the community/junior college jazz band this year on Bass trombone (they need one =P).

[JorgEuphonium]

What instrument did you start your musical career on?

All my musical life I have playe the euphonium!
I began with a Rott of Czechoslovakia and for 12 years that I have my Yamaha 642. 5 or 6 years after studies I began to play the trombone

[paco1013]

What instrument did you start your musical career on?

3rd Grade: Violin

6th Grade: Trumpet

8th Grade: Tuba

3rd Year of College: Bass Guitar

[JohnB]

What instrument did you start your musical career on?

I started with the French Horn in 4th grade. I really didn't like the "peck horn," as my instructor called it. By the time I was in Jr. High I had bought a trumpet and a tenor sax and played those at home. Rarely did I practice the French Horn. In 10th grade, because of scheduling problems in school, I had to quit either band or choir. I chose to stay in choir because I was in the all-state choir. I majored in music theory and composition in college, so I had a short overview of all the instruments. We all learned to play a scale - sorta. That was 37 yrs. ago and I didn't play an instrument until this year. I decided a year ago I wanted to learn an instrument, so I bought an old Getzen Super Deluxe trumpet. I enjoyed playing, but got introduced to the Euphonium through participation in Tuba Christmas this year. Since then, I bought an old Olds American style baritone to learn and have plans for a King 2280 as soon as I can afford it. The trumpet - it hasn't seen the light of day since Christmas.

John

[wmflyer]

What instrument did you start your musical career on?

My dad paid his way through college playing trombone, and I followed in his footsteps... I started playing his Besson trombone in 4th grade. Played a Reynolds in high school, then essentially put my horn in the closet for 20 (+) years with Army and family commitments. Started playing regularly again in 2005 with a local wind ensemble (on a King 3b), and due to an imbalance in the low brass I "volunteered" to switch to euphonium. I've really enjoyed the challenge of learning a new instrument, and I've gotten serious enough about the transition to consider picking up a compensating euph of my own (I've borrowed a Yamaha 321 from the local high school for the past year). I'm currently looking at a nice Willson, and I cannot wait to transition from a student-level horn to one that will give me all sorts of room to grow my musicianship and playing skills. I will always be a trombone player at heart, but I truly love the role I currently fill in our group...(euphonium parts are just plain "cool"...!!!) I have been on this forum for awhile, and I really appreciate the wealth of information that is shared here. Keep up the great work!!!!

[lgbdtuba]

What instrument did you start your musical career on?

I started (one year) on Eb alto horn in the 5th grade in South Norfolk, VA. Switched to sousaphone the next year. Added the baritone in the 7th grade and alternated between sousaphone for marching and baritone for concert band the rest of school. Added the trombone in the 11th grade so I could play in the dance band. I really was a band geek.

[vito4cal]

What instrument did you start your musical career on?

Started on trumpet in 4th grade. By 6th grade I was playing the cornet. I was very good on the instrument even though I never practiced (yeah, right).

When me and the other 15 t-pet/cornets showed up for middle school band, and the director realized that he no low brass, he figured out his best 7 or 8 t-pet players and told the rest of us slackers that we had to switch to trombone, tuba or baritone, or take home economics.

Since I was ambitiously lazy, when I found out that I did not have to learn slide positions or another clef, I volunteered for baritone (the treble clef variety).

Little did I realize I had selected the best instrument to play at that time and that it was life-changing choice. If I had known what joy I would have playing the baritone/euphonium, I would started with the instrument in the first place. Oh, and practiced more.


Cheers,

John Gibson

[iMav]

What instrument did you start your musical career on?

I started on a small bore euphonium (front bell, 3-valve) in 8th grade. Moved to a upright bell, larger-bore euphonium in 9th grade. Added trombone and tuba in 11th grade.



Was a euphonium performance major in college; playing euphonium in a wind ensemble, tuba in marching band, and trombone in pep band. Essentially, I drank myself out of college in less than a year...



Joined the Air Force and played baritone bugle in basic training and in tech school (Kessler AFB, MS).



Didn't play again until just recently when I picked up a new horn (Schiller Elite). After a 20+ year break, I am ramping up to play in a Shriner concert band.

[Anson]

6th grade for a couple months: Alto Sax
6th grade for the remainder of the year: Baritone Horn (because there wasn't enough people in low brass)
9th grade: small bore euphonium and tenor trombone. Also learned upright bass and electric bass for jazz bands.
I also goofed around on learning a few songs on the electric organ and piano (to help me arrange some songs I liked).
1st year undergrad: learned recorder (music theory class) and flute (was into a girl who played flute and wanted to impress her).

Then I dropped all music in 1997.

Fast forward to July 2012. I bought an electric bass because I missed music so much, and tried to play again. I realized that I am very terrible at bass.
My friend told me about euphonium mutes, and the silent brass system in August 2012.
By Oct 2012, I located a used euphonium, and bought it. Got the bug.
Dec 2012. Sold my used horn. Bought my first "big boys" horn. Dug out my old bach baritone/euphonium, got it refurbed, and sent it to my buddy who hasn't played in years.

Jan. 2013 - b!tching and whining about my poor range (high Bb cap); searching for a magic mouthpiece, and loving every minute of playing music again!

[DaveBj]

You left out accordion (when I was 8 years old).

[ghmerrill]

Well, since you said "not recorder", I can say "Tonette" (technically not a recorder, though recorder-like).

When I was in elementary school, NY State had a program to introduce all students to instrumental music in the fourth grade. I only recently discovered (recalling this and looking into it), that this was part of a NATIONAL program in which instruments (mostly Tonettes) were bought by parents for the students, and classes played out of little booklets (like marching band books) as an "ensemble of the whole". I learned to read treble clef and to play the damned thing pretty well (range was maybe two octaves?). I think you can actually buy these things on Ebay if you keep your eyes peeled for them. A primary attribute of the Tonette, I believe, was that it was virtually indestructable. You could maybe melt one with a torch. Otherwise, it was really hard to damage. I think it cost around a buck.

Near the end of fifth grade we each got to talk with the "real" instrumental music teacher about joining band in the sixth grade. We got to express our preference for an instrument. I wanted to play trombone (my mother's old instrument and her first choice), but he said that my arm wasn't long enough to reach 7th position. This was nonsense, and I knew it at the time (being one of the tallest kids in class), but maybe he already had too many trombone players (can you really have too many?). I recall that the band/orchestra instructor was a violinist and both looked and acted more than bit like Napoleon. So I ended up with saxophone (my father's first choice). I stuck with that for about fifteen years, moved to double on flute along the way, and then in my mid-forties decided to finally do low brass. I don't regret it the switch to brass a bit. I do regret the fifteen years with the saxophone (but not the flute).

[Davidus1]

I chose to play the tuba in 7th grade but in our district you play baritone horn (reading tuba music) the first year then switch over to the larger instrument the second year. I think its a good strategy and I was able to quickly acclimate.

[TheJH]

I started on the recorder when I was 7. After a year on that we got to choose which brass instrument or saxophone we wanted to play (Dutch fanfare band). When i got home from school a few days later I saw a instrument case in the hall and asked my father what was in it. It was a baritone. After playing for rougly four to five years on it i was given a 3 valve euph bsy my new second band (because we quit with the band the baritone was from). after 2 years on that i was given a 4 valve euph and since last december i play on my own 4 valve compensating euph. Still miss that baritone though...

[dsurkin]

Gary referred to the NY program to start students on Tonette. That was my first instrument, in 2nd grade. My school let 4th graders rent instruments and take music lessons from the band director. I intended to select trombone, because I liked the slide, but mistakenly said trumpet when they asked me what I wanted. After a few months, the teacher decided that with lips as big as mine I'd be a good candidate for baritone horn, and I became the school's sole baritone horn player. I had an affinity for the instrument, and was featured as a soloist in the elementary school concerts.

Then I discovered that baritone horn could read treble clef and bass clef, and they were in different keys! This piqued my interest in music theory, and I started doing arrangements for my fellow musicians. Spurred by my interest in music theory, I wound up beginning piano in 6th grade.

By age 15, I played my first professional gig on organ in a rock band, and I continued playing professionally for the next 15 years.

So should I choose trumpet or baritone horn for my first instrument? I guess I'll choose trumpet, since I continued playing it on and off until I gave my trumpet to my nephew in the 1980s.

[John the Theologian]

I started on piano at the age of 8 or 9-- can't exactly remember. My teacher was an older woman who was one of the local church organists. She was a very good teacher-- had studied at a conservatory in Chicago-- I grew up in NW Indiana, just across the border. My siblings and I all thought she was very odd because she wore heavy sweaters even in summer that smelled like moth balls.

I began my brass playing on trombone when I was 10 in the Highland, IN public school system, playing a new Conn 6h trombone which unfortunately I was very hard on. Only later did I come to understand that this horn was professional level and is today highly sought after by jazz trombonists. I traded that horn in when I was 16 for a Conn 48h Constellation model, which I still have and can report that I have kept it in very good shape. I also recently added a good used large bore trombone-- a Blessing B88. My main trombone teacher was Jaroslav Cimera, who was retired from Northwestern University. He was a very fine teacher who had taught numerous professionals, including Tommy Dorsey, whenever he stopped in Chicago. He had played in Sousa's band as a young man and was also a bit of a character.

I didn't begin playing the euphonium until I was in my late 30s- in the late 1980s. I had borrowed older American style baritone horns on occasion from friends and learned the fingerings. The British style brass band that I was playing trombone in at that time-- the Eastern Iowa Brass Band-- suddenly needed a euphonium player and I had the opportunity to purchase a decent used Yamaha 321. I was thrown into a sink or swim situation because my valve skills were still very limited and we were preparing for NABBA competitions with some tough charts to play. Somehow I managed.

I played euphonium in the EIBB for about 5 years until work responsibilities became too demanding. I continued to play in church some, but gradually that somewhat dwindled and essentially put the horn down for about 10 years.

A couple of years ago, I missed playing and picked my horns up, joining a jazz band on trombone and playing euphonium occasionally in a couple of community concert bands. I added a large bore trombone and a new Mack Brass euphonium to my instrument collection, selling the Yamaha to finance the new euph.

I'm currently enjoying playing and this forum and will have the privilege of meeting Dave Werden tonight when he performs his recital at the University of Iowa tonight.