Tuba Christmas - Find One and Play!

[John Morgan]

Just a reminder that this time of year, and particularly during December, there will be many Tuba Christmas events around the country (world). Over 300 are already scheduled. See the Tuba Christmas web site (http://www.tubachristmas.com/index.html) to find an event near where you live and learn all about Tuba Christmas. Tuba Christmas is for all players of tubas/sousaphones and euphoniums/baritone horns. If you have never participated, try to make it this year. It is a lot of fun, great camaraderie, and audiences around the country love the performances.

[highpitch]

Done many, this year in Tombstone, AZ again. A real hoot!

DG

[Arnbone Euph]

Will be doing my first one in Sacramento this year on the 14th. Observed one in Tombstone in 2013, I believe it was. Did a couple in Austin in the early 2000s, one of which was directed by Jukara Kano (I think I have his first name wrong). He got the first PhD in tuba performance awarded for at University of Texas. I had a few lessons from him when he ran the low brass studio at UT San Antonio and I played in a UT San Antonio Tuba Euph quartet where I used my YEP-642 and the other euphoniumist (a senior student) used his brand spanking new YEP-842. What a great musical experience and loved Tuba Christmas on the steps of the capitol at Austin. We played the great musical piece Coming Home from the New World Symphony. Kano is now running a low brass studio in a New England college.

[ann reid]

TubaChristmas was one of the things on my bucket list when I started playing last spring. I had no idea whether I’d be able to play well enough to participate. I’m now pretty active with a delightful community band, taking solid lessons, and striving to come up with a few new bucket list activities for 2020.
Although I wish I’d started in low brass 50 or so years ago, the rush that comes from mastering a tricky passage and getting it to sound as I want it to may have been dormant for a while, but darned if it isn’t back full force.TubaChristmas, here I come!

[highpitch]

There isn't much tricky to play in Tuba Christmas

It is all scripted 4-part harmony.

I recommend taking the book to a copy outfit, and have it enlarged.

You can't have more fun for $10...

Dennis

[John Morgan]

….I recommend taking the book to a copy outfit, and have it enlarged....

There is a small sized book (a little hard to read for those with old eyes like me) and then there is a size like standard music (think typewriter paper at 8 1/2 X 11). The larger book is pretty readable. Small one is usually about $20 and the large about $25. Buy it once, then use it year after year. Put the book in your will, Tuba Christmas will be going for years to come.

[highpitch]

When I bought my book, they only had one size...too little.

I suppose they had enough complaints from us oldsters.

Dennis

[John Lebens]

I plan on being there. Tuba Christmas St Paul, Minnesota December the 8th!

[Snorlax]

Buy the TubaChristmas and Tuba Company CDs as well.
I'm playing lead!
Jim

[Snorlax]

Make sure you have the new version of the books that I typeset and printed at
1200 dpi laser a few years ago--much easier to read than the older versions
with 6 generations of 9-pin dot-matrix print. The latest versions have a small
blurb about me in the front.
I redid both the large and small versions, as well as the version for treble clef
euphoniums.
Jim

[Arnbone Euph]

I ordered the larger format book that Snorlax is referencing for this year (Carols for a Merry Tubachristmas). It's great. I'll be using it at the Sacramento gathering. Thanks, Jim, for you part in creating this much easier-to-read version.

[RickF]

Got this picture in a text from my brother in Jax (Jacksonville, FL). He and his wife attended on the 21st. Always a good crowd at the beach in the band shell.

[davewerden]

This one, in NYC, is probably the most well-known of any in the USA. Good video at the link below:

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/on-air/as...-rink/2242784/

[Marilyn]

I played in Jupiter, FL and the following week in The Villages, FL. So much fun. I love doing this for the holidays and meeting so many other musicians.

[euphlight]

Something a bit different for the Tuba Christmas this year in my town is we played in the lobby area of the auditorium an hour before The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Concert. We got 50% off the WSO Christmas Concert that followed Tuba Christmas and complimentary tickets for the next WSO here in February.

This year, I put 11 inch portable LED lights on my euphonium, wrapped it to the bell of my euph. and just scotch tape the wire part to the bell. The lights took 4 AA batteries. There's 6 light sequences to it. This a quick selfie that I did for the lights on my euphonium back in November.