It's only one week from tomorrow!

If you're in the #Philly area, stop by the Kimmel Center on Sunday, December 21 for #TubaChristmas, an hour of music you won't soon forget (for the right reasons). It may sound like a goof to have 100 #tuba and #euphonium players performing holiday songs en masse, but it really is amazing--especially in that space.

Two shows: 1:00 and 6:00 PM. I'll be playing at the 1:00 show. Come join us! It's free!

https://phillytubachristmas.com

Perhaps should play a duet?

https://rumble.com/vyq4dj-tuba-and-euphonium-duet-in-the-bleak-midwinter-gustav-holst-arr.-i.-mundy.-.html
#tuba #euphonium

So I finally got my hands on my old euphonium! This thing is at least 40 years old, possibly 50+. It was my dad's instrument before he gave it to me when I was in 4th grade. I think it was originally laquered. It looked fine the last time I saw it, but that was… like 15-20 years ago. My dad was playing it I think, because the case got changed and he disassembled the valves, so clearly it was being used at some point in the past 20 years. But in the past 10 I know it hasn't been used because my parents divorced and it ended up at my mom's new house in Florida. At this point the finish is showing wear and in some places it's completely gone, mostly where your hand rests to play.

The exposed brass has developed a nice patina, but what concerns me are a few spots of green rust around some joints. Some of the bottom valves are some kind of white metal, stainless steel possibly because it's perfectly shiny even after all this time, so I know it's not silver.

So now the goal is to find a local repair shop for brass instruments and see what they can do. I think the green rusting should be mediated. The hand rest being worn and having patina is fine by me, but there are a few spots on the front of the bell where the finish (I think it was originally clear laquer) is coming off and it doesn't look so good, so I may end up getting the whole thing re-finished. Not sure if I'll go back to the original laquer, or do something else. I do actually like instruments with a darker sound, so I wouldn't be opposed to the potential sound change of a varnish or laquer. I'm not interested in silver, it seems way too high maintenance. The original laquer did fantastic for 30+ years, so I'm thinking either that, or doing raw brass.

Hibike! Euphonium Final Movie เข้าฉายในโรงภาพยนตร์ที่ญี่ปุ่น ภายในปี 2026

#euphonium

When I see a #euphonium part like this, it reminds me I should have spent more time practicing the Bach cello suites when I was younger.

This is from John Denman's "Crossover Concerto" for clarinet and #concertband, 2023.