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TubeNet, "That Other Website!"

Last Updated (Wednesday, 14 May 2008 12:34)
Written by Roger Bobo
Wednesday, 14 May 2008 08:46

Articles - Personal Essays

A very long time ago, before the Internet, before computer games and even before television, there was radio; it was the time of Let’s Pretend, Red Ryder, Terry and the Pirates, The House of Mystery and The Shadow; I loved those Saturday morning radio shows. And I remember how exciting for me it was, during the time of radio on those cold winter nights, to sit with my family and listen to the orange grove frost warnings read by some man by the name of Gene Boulet. The family, gathered close together around the heater trying to keep warm while listening to the radio; that’s a very cozy memory.

I also remember, at that early age, that the radio stations absolutely never mentioned the call letters of another station; one would never hear the KHJ call letters mentioned on KFI or KNX on KECA, they refered to them as “That other Station.”

Comedians made jokes about that practice and I, even at the age of 6 or 7, found it quite humorous; why were those grownups so afraid to mention the other stations? Fortunately, that seems to have passed into just another curiosity of history in today’s world; or has it? Sometimes I think that some of the numerous tuba and euphonium websites we have are isolating their selves in protective cocoons the same way as the radio era of over 50 years ago.

My personal involvement with these websites is only with TubaNews; while I have been intensely working the passed four years as a founder and adviser of TubaNews, I’ve become increasingly aware that all the sites out there have a somewhat different slant on our overwhelming common denominator, the tuba.

In the way we go to different teachers and different respected colleagues for various information and advice, it seems only logical that we should seek that advice and information from the various websites as well. And, as with teachers and colleagues, it seems it would be most beneficial to our readers that we, who operate these websites, cooperate and communicate with one another.

I, for one, visit and read TubeNet at least once a day and another lesser-read site “Tuba Logic, Index” at galvanizedjazz.com/tuba.html. This site gives us a marvelous reference into the acoustical aspects of our instrument; sometimes I simply need to check in and review those things to in order to be reminded of how our instrument works.

The thoughts, ideas, listings of current events and news of all genres are abundant if we choose to look; we are very lucky to be living at this time, enjoy.

Tokyo