I got another tuba off eBay last week. It's a very nice Miraphone 186. (And no, I didn't pay nearly what that link shows for a new instrument.)



Now, of course, I'll have to sell my old beat up Holton. It served me better than I could have expected. Here and here are a couple of links to performances from our last concert.

Wow, winter and spring are long gone, and summer is in full swing. Fireworks are in just 3 days. Tim has had his tonsils taken out (and my throat is sore). Emily is taking swimming lessons. Scott and Tim are taking piano this summer. WWDC has come and gone. The iPhone is out (and I'll get one for free in a month).

I went to spring training for a couple of days. Teresa and the kids went to Disney World for spring break (and I got to ski). The Rockies were horrible, then they were great, and now they're horrible again.

I'm riding my bike (and bought a new one). The garden is in (late, as always). Teresa is moving her genealogy to the Mac (her Dell notebook continues to fall apart).

Wow, what a month! It all started with Tuba Christmas down in Denver. 343 tubas and ephoniums playing Christmas carols in Larimer Square. The music was actually rather difficult. I couldn't play half of it with only two hours of rehearsal. I expect next year will be better. Here are some more photos up on flikr.

Then, as our family was about to descend on us, the biggest blizzard that I can remember in Colorado hit. It meant lots of canceled plans, and stranded Ellie's family in their cold and dark house.

Nevertheless, we had a great Christmas. Ruth and Jen came out sporting new rings. We're all waiting to hear when the big date will be! As always, Lora helped cook up a storm. Jeannette and Steve came out the day after Christmas and stayed the rest of the week. The cousins had a great time playing together. Here are some photos of the week.

Scott got a euphonium, so I needed one too. This instrument was made by Boosey & Co. in 1928. That's old! It shows lots of wear. But it also shows lots of love, plays beautifully and has a wonderful mellow tone. It's been re-plated in silver rather recently, so it's really pretty. It also has a fourth valve (that takes it down a fourth) that's played with the left hand. That is taking some getting used to.

I also picked up a very scary looking Holton tuba on eBay. It actually plays quite well, but it's too ugly to show a picture. And it kinda smells too. Once I restore it a bit, I'll show some before/after shots.

So, next Sunday, Scott and I, and other kids from his school, are going to take part in Tuba Christmas in Denver. (It's at 1pm in Larimer Square.) We're both really looking forward to it. I had planned to go to it back in 1983, when I was in college. But it just didn't work out. I'd kinda forgotten about it since. It should be a blast!

Well, Scott's entered 5th grade. And with overcrowding at Eagle Crest elementary he's now going to Altona Middle School. It's somewhat scary having him in the same school with 7th and 8th graders. But... he gets to be in band!

At the beginning of summer he tried out different instruments. The teacher helped point the kids to whichever instrument they could get the most notes out of. And the winner was the baritone. He really wanted to play tuba just like dad, but tubas are a bit big for now. Perhaps once he hits high school...



In the meantime, dad gets to play baritone too (actually, it's really a euphonium). It's been a lot of fun so far, but I sure don't have the chops I had back in college. (Yeah, I actually majored in music for a year before getting out with a math degree.) It turns out that back in school, my tuba professor made me take up the euphonium too to help me improve my upper register. I never quite got it.