This is soooo funny - storage delima

15 years ago

My middle son came home from school so excited the first day - someone donated six TUBAs to the school. His band teacher asked for volunteers to play it, and DS is ON FIRE to play the tuba!

The funny thing is the teacher wants 3 volunteers so that each kid can have a tuba at school & one to keep at home for the school year.

So now I have to figure out a place to store a TUBA so it's accessable on a daily basis. The teacher hasn't sent it home yet - he said he'd call me to come pick it up when it's ready to go (they are used instruments & he's making minor repairs). I forgot to ask the teacher if it will include a stand - these are orchestra tubas, not the marching kind, so they don't exactly sit up by themselves.

So that's my funniest storage delima lately. Does anyone else have funny storage delimas to share?

I should add, the funny thing here is that DS is 12 and about 5'1" and weighs about 80 lbs - he's as light boned and narrow as a bird - the tuba is bigger than him but he's so excited about it!

Comments (15)

justgotabme
15 years ago
Oh how cute! I'll have to ask my hubby how he stored his since he played on in school. I do hope you take pictures and share with us of him and his tuba.
~Becky
arleneb
15 years ago
Oh, gosh, you brought back a long-ago memory! When my kids were little, we lived on a cul-de-sac -- the house midway around the circle had a boy who took up the tuba. Mom apparently didn't appreciate his early practices, because he did them sitting on the front steps . . . sharing his efforts with the entire neighborhood!

If you value your relationships with neighbors, I wouldn't recommend this. Good luck!!
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sovra
15 years ago
I think that the big brass instruments generally get stored in their cases. That protects them from (for example) those impromptu wrestling matches that all the 12-year-old boys in my family found so essential.

(Of course, your son may be more angelic than my brothers were....)
jannie
15 years ago
Reminds me of my old pal Ruthie. She played cello in the school orchestra. I remember her on the schoolbus with that big thing in its case. She was about four foot ten, maybe 80 lbs.
sheriz6
15 years ago
Jannie, that will be my DS. He's on the short side for 9, and will be negotiating the bus with a cello in a couple of weeks' time.

Mommabird, the tuba story made me laugh, too, One of DS's good friends has been assigned the tuba this year, and he's the smallest boy in their class! I wonder if he gets to have two, too? I can't imagine running a tuba back and forth on the bus!
bspofford
15 years ago
Can't help you with the storage issue, but I can see the advantage of each player having one at home and one at school; no transportation issues!

Uncle Frank (all 5'2" of him) played the sousaphone, which is just slightly smaller than a tuba. Don't they let big people play tubas?

Barbara
jannie
15 years ago
Another friend Camille played flute and piccolo, not at the same time, of course! She was a big girl, probably five ten, 200 lb at least!
mommabird
Original Author
15 years ago
I played flute & piccolo too and I'm rather Amazonian. 5'11" but was super skinny until I was 30 (weighed 110 lbs in high school - imagine Karen Carpenter). When I see pictures I did look pretty ludicrus with those tiny instuments. I played flute & basoon (nice and big!) in orchestra and piccolo in marching band.

I got a good report from the band teacher today - DS is doing well on tuba!

My oldest son play Tenor Sax (it's the BIG one) and DS who is taking up tuba also plays trombone. Both of these are hard to get on and off the bus - that sax case is the size of most footlockers. I'm just hoping DS #3 will take up something small like flute or clairinet when he reaches band age!
goodhors
15 years ago
If the Tuba doesn't need to stay in a case, how about a ceiling hook? No floor space needed, could be "arty" suspended in the air in a corner.

Just an idea that popped into my head as an unlikely spot, but still handy to reach for practicing.
mvastian
15 years ago
goodhors,

I LOVE your idea!

Maria
Frizzle
15 years ago
Actually, an orchestral or concert tuba is very upright and doesn't wrap around you like the sousaphones you are used to seeing people play while marching.

the concert tuba can sit on it's bell upside down on the floor if you have a safe place for it. but watch out because one mis-step on the bell and it's going to fold!

the cases are substantially larger but you could throw a tablecloth over it and have dinner? LOL!

http://tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:9bP

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}
Frizzle
15 years ago
um, try this link....

Here is a link that might be useful: tuba again
susanjn
15 years ago
My dd plays the bassoon and tenor sax at school and the guitar just for fun. All three sit on the living room hearth in their tattered cases. I don't post pics on the decorating forum. ;)
laurmela
15 years ago
DS played the tenor sax and dd plays the alto. At one time we had 2 tenors and 2 altos scattered around the house. I know they make stands for most instruments, but with a tuba you almost need a room!

Good luck, nice to see kids interested in music! Just getting ready to start competition season here, so kids and instruments are forefront in my mind!

Toodles,

Laura
mommabird
Original Author
15 years ago
I don't think I ever posted - the tuba came with a HUGE giant case! It's in the corner of DS's bedroom in the case. He gets it out every day to play it. You should see the CATS when he starts practing. They F-R-E-A-K out!

It takes up a lot of room but DS is having so much fun with it! We live in Columbus, OH and Ohio State University's marching band has something like 24 tubas. He now wants to be in the band when he goes to OSU and dot the "i" in OHIO during the pregame show. (My kids aren't going to college - I've raised them with the expectation they will go to OSU! GO BUCKS)