This may be real. Consider, for example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI9WbdtvjZ4. And https://www.facebook.com/kody.rackle...=browse_search. And some others.
I can't imagine why an undergraduate music education major would think that he "needs" a $15,000 tuba. And I can't imagine why a professor would be encouraging him to believe that this is what he "needs". But maybe that's just me. And I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from becoming a good musician if a $15,000 instrument is what that takes. I guess you could think of it as contributing to a scholarship for this individual.
I think I need a Norwegian Star in order to have a happy life in my golden years. And that's only $10,000. But I don't think that's going to happen .
Gary Merrill
Wessex EEb Bass tuba (DW 3XL or 2XL)
Mack Brass Compensating Euph (DE N106, Euph J, J9 euph)
Amati Oval Euph (DE 104, Euph J, J6 euph)
1924 Buescher 3-valve Eb tuba (with std US receiver), Kelly 25
Schiller American Heritage 7B clone bass trombone (DE LB K/K10/112/14 Lexan, Brass Ark MV50R)
1947 Olds "Standard" trombone (Olds #3)