Chapter 1-Tuba?!
Robin waked into her band director's office. There was sheet music everywhere because the room was being remodeled to fit it all. The band room had a special room for the music but because previous band members had broken the drawers Mrs. Arthur had moved it all to her office.
Robin sat down on one of the couches. It was the last week of school and Robin had gotten out of pre-calculus because they were not doing anything because they had taken finals the week before. This day was to finish up anything they needed to with their teachers. They would get the next day off and Friday would be graduation. Mrs. Arthur was talking to one of the students about how they were going to either get a person to play the tuba or have someone cover its part.
Robin didn't have to worry; she played tenor saxophone so she wouldn't be expected to. They continued the discussion as Robin sat there thinking. She knew someone who had played the tuba before she had moved to Stewart County but she couldn't be convinced to play…Robin had tried.
Robin picked up one of the instrument catalogues off of the couch. She needed to get a tenor for college soon but she knew she wasn't going to get a new one like out of the book. She didn't actually own a tenor but played one of the schools. She had played at first alto saxophone but her freshmen year they needed a tenor for concert so she tried it and decided she liked it.
She played it for concert her sophomore year as well. That was when the band had received a shock. Their band director left them that year and they were expected to march for the chemistry teacher.
The chemistry teacher just happened to have been waiting for the chance because she had a degree in music but they were worried because she hadn't marched since high school.
No one amazingly quit but they sure put up the bluff to leave if she did. It didn't work. She was having another kid and wanted to spend time with her son. She left and they got Mrs. Arthur.
It wasn't that bad of a deal Robin thought flipping through the brass instruments. That reminded her, she had been practicing the trumpet for something to do at home and could finally play her B flat scale. That wasn't to bad she thought cause she was a woodwind and a low wind at that.
She looked up at Mrs. Arthur and said, "Oh, Mrs. Arthur, I wanted to tell you that I can finally play the Bb scale on Justin's trumpet."
Justin was her friend who had quit band and had leant her his trumpet to practice.
Mrs. Saunders started to look at her kind of funny and Robin knew exactly what Mrs. Arthur was going to say but before she could say "NO!" Mrs. Arthur was already saying, "Go get the tuba."
Robin couldn't say no to a direct order…ok, she did any how but she didn't mean it and it didn't do any good. She knew she would have to go and see if she could play it. She would never have considered even picking it up if she didn't already know how bad the band need a tubbiest.
Robin sighed in defeat after she begged and pleaded but Mrs. Arthur was asking nicely and saying please. It never occurred to Robin to pretend she sucked, that was against her nature.
She liked being good at things, especially music; so she grabbed the tuner, a beginner tuba book, and of course the sousaphone and headed towards a practice room. The first note she tried was her tuning note and she hit it…Great. She then used the tuner to work up and down the scale.
She could hit more notes than she could on the trumpet. She probably wouldn't be that b ad with practice. Oh God, with practice would mean she would have to march it.
This was how she had ended up marching tenor, the band had needed one so she had offered. She was a strong player and could play loud enough to be heard over the band. She was in trouble. She couldn't lie to Mrs. Arthur but she knew how strenuous it was to march it. The guy who had played it this year was needed on trumpet. He had been asked to play tuba even though he was first trumpet. He had been nice enough to do it but their new show was different. It was a Latin show and it had a hard core trumpet piece. Robin knew she would have to march the sousaphone. She wasn't going down easily though.
She put it up then walked into Mrs. Arthur's office again. She looked up hopeful, Robin sighed, looked her in the eyes and said…"Do I really have to?"
