Sprucing up the image

A former state supreme court justice was featured in a “High Profile” article recently in our local paper. He is reckoned to be a well-rounded fellow with all sorts of interests and capabilities. His various accomplishments earned him a rather large photo to accompany the rather longish article about him. I generally don’t make a habit of reading the High Profile section of the paper unless there is something particularly fascinating about the name or picture of the person being featured. So, for all you logic majors out there following along, yes, there was something fascinating about the picture of this man…the musical instrument he was holding.

Unfortunately, the article did not focus on the instrument and its role in shaping the man’s character, but the brief segment which did mention the instrument warmed my precious little heart. You see, this man, fine chap that he must be, is a “tuba player par excellence.” As a hobby/career/pastime, music has been second only to law for him. Having started out playing banjo and singing, eventually he added guitar and mandolin to his repertoire. He would play in restaurants and at folk festivals. One of his fans in the early days was a young Bill Clinton (a good ole boy with no titles at the time – that fan’s rise to political importance would eventually benefit our high profile lawyer/musician).

After retiring from most of his law-related endeavors, music grew in importance for this fellow. A neighbor and fellow lawyer/musician commented on this chap’s decision to take up the tuba, saying that he is “trying to spruce up his image, wanting folks to think he had more culture…I’ve walked by his home while he’s practicing the tuba, he takes it very seriously…it’s a passion for him.”

Now I should be clear on this point, I certainly don’t think there is any lack of “culture” in the banjo, guitar, or mandolin. In fact, I can appreciate and admire lots of musicians without prejudice regarding the particular instrument. However, I must point out that tuba players can often find themselves at the wrong end of a joke and completely unappreciated. One of my several underlying objectives in life is to see a greater respect granted toward the fine musicians who, foregoing the traditional accolades which can be sought in the music industry, choose that glorious instrument, the tuba.