Contra Tubas---Comparing and wining
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| Photo Attribution: Original Photo: "Horn Luggage" http://www.flickr.com/photos/46042146@N00/2651120527 By: Randy Robertson Released under an Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ There are a few ways I might incorporate this image into my Curriculum. These instruments are usually used by very competitive marching bands. I could use it as a starting point to answer: What is a contra? This instrument is a kind of tuba that is carried on the shoulder and is used in place of the traditional sousaphone. I would then proceed to explain the pros and cons of using these instruments. The pros would be that they are very cool looking (especially if you are band geek) that they can be converted for concert season, and that it can be used for horn visuals on the field. The cons would include that their intonation (tuning) can be really bad, they are awkward to carry, and that when you convert them for concert season they are sub-par when compared to high quality concert tubas. Another way I might use this photo is after a marching band performance where I notice that the horn angles are off. Often times students with the lightest instruments (flute) complain the most about maintaining a proper marching posture. I might use this as a joke or as a lead in i.e....Well complain more about how heavy your flute is and we will make you march a contra!!!! Or I might use it as a lead in as lesson on pride. Even when this particular contra line is not performing they are still respecting their instruments and look uniformed. I might go into more of the history of marching band and how this respect comes out of the military tradition. The below link is a picture of me from a concert rehearsal. This photo was was set to a Creative Commons license. |
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