The tuba stars in the most famous four beats of movie music ever made - the scary, booming dah-dah dah-dah of "Jaws." And while it seems a lot easier to tote a banjo to a party than the ginormous horn, enthusiasts argue that the tuba is being embraced nationwide by hipsters.
OK, granted, this may sound like an odd argument. But consider the evidence: The ultra-edgy Yo La Tengo, Bubba Sparxx, Soul Rebels, Youngblood and Daft Punk plus pop-cultural icon Bruce Springsteen have all spotlighted the tuba in their music recently. And think of the eternally cool jazz god Miles Davis and his aptly named "The Birth of the Cool." Davis chose Bill Barber to be the first tuba player in a landmark combo.
Area residents can find out what all the excitement is about at two tuba-centric events this week in Crossville and Harriman, Tenn. Audiences are encouraged to sing along.
The Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble will play Christmas songs at the Palace Theatre in Crossville on Friday, Dec. 5. The ensemble has played Carnegie Hall appearances seven times, hopscotched the globe for international appearances and performed at historic Preservation Hall in New Orleans and the glitzy Kennedy Center in Washington.
Further afield, Harriman High School is hosting a TubaChristmas on Saturday, Dec. 6. TubaChristmas is a worldwide series of events offering Christmas carols played on tubas wherever there are people who want to hear this happen. The concerts were launched in 1974 at New York City's Rockefeller Center ice-skating rink by the Harvey G. Phillips Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money for music education. Already this year, Rock City and Blue Ridge, Ga., have hosted TubaChristmas concerts, and another is scheduled Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Gem Theatre in Etowah, Tenn.
If you go*What: Christmas Tubas by the Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble.*When: 7 p.m. CST Friday, Dec. 5.*Where: Palace Theatre, 72 S. Main St., Crossville, Tenn.*Admission: $12 adults, $6 students.*Website: www.palacetheatre-crossville.com.If you go*What: TubaChristmas concert.*When: 11:45 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6.*Where: Harriman High School, 920 N. Roane St., Harriman, Tenn.*Admission: Free.*Phone: 865-882-3446.
The tuba has a funny-sounding name and looks a bit cartoonish as the musician wriggles into it. But when you read the TubaChristmas worldwide mission statement, it's clear than that tuba players are a band of brothers and sisters who love this unique brass instrument. It says the annual Christmas concerts honor tuba players' "professional integrity, personal values and a camaraderie envied by all other instruments."