Author Archives: tubachavez
(re)Focus
I have begun a journey into the practice of meditation. In addition to simply sitting alone in a room listening to my breath, I have been using several guided meditations found on YouTube. Some I have enjoyed, others not so much. The process of meditation is first about calming the mind and allowing all of […]
Prerequisites
I’m not talking about the classes you need to take in college before you can pass your upper level jury here. When I was touring with Synergy Brass, I would often get asked by young musicians how to be a better player—usually as that related to playing high notes or double tonguing. As much as […]
Tuba Duo Four
Here is a little look at some playing I’ve been doing lately. Soon I will be doing a post talking about my experience using GoFundMe, the crowdsourcing website. Until I get to that here is a little taste of what I’ve been up to.
New Beginnings
These past few years have been an amazing time of growth and entrepreneurship. I have met so many amazing people and done some pretty cool stuff in the process. Honestly, it’s all too much to fit into a single blog post. And that’s not really the point of this post anyway. While there will be […]
Interview Questions
This is an interview I did with Matt Owen, a great tuba player who is helping to pioneer the first ever ElectroBrass Conference this summer. It will be happening June 4-6 at the University of Alabama. It is going to be a great time. In preparation for the conference he is doing interviews with some […]
What We Learn from Our Instruments
As musicians we should be more like the instruments we play. I recently watched Note by Note, the documentary about the Steinway Piano Company. It’s available on Netflix and I urge you to seek it out. The film takes you step by step through the whole process of creating these amazing pianos, works of art […]
Something Worth Paying For
I enjoy working on my car. I can do all the basic stuff—change the oil, replace belts and hoses, and even change the alternator. But when it comes time to do some real work, there is a level of expertise I don’t have. If I were to attempt some repair jobs, I would be very […]
Five Things I’ve Learned from Gordon Ramsay
I know I’m a little late to this party, but I’ve become a bit addicted to Kitchen Nightmares, the show in which famous chef Gordon Ramsay walks into failing restaurants and rips the entire staff a new one. I’ve always found a strong connection between the culinary and musical arts and what it means to […]
What Music Looks Like / The Star Spangled Banner
In honor of our great country and this special day, I figured I would compile a set of videos showing how our National Anthem has been played at various times… Here’s a rendition of our National Anthem by one talented and brave 4-year-old girl In honor of my Grandfather, who was an Air Force man. […]
Five Truths of Being a Musician #5
For the last month we’ve been discussing the truths of the musical life. They are … • Most people simply will not “get it.” • They don’t want to hear that new piece you’re working on. • Sometimes you will (and should) turn down a gig. • You may realize this job is not for […]
Long Tones: The Pursuit of a Life in Music 