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11/27/2024 08:30 AMYou’ve heard jokes before. Knock-knock jokes, dad jokes. But do you know tuba jokes? Try this one. How do you fix a broken tuba? With a tuba glue.
Tim Tobin, however, does not need to fix his tuba. It is just fine, and he will be playing it on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. at the annual Tuba Christmas Concert held in the auditorium of The Morgan School in Clinton. The free concert features tubas of all shapes and sizes, along with smaller relatives like euphoniums and baritone horn, playing Christmas carols as the audience sings along.
Tuba Christmas is a popular event which features concerts in 290 cities throughout the world. The event is now celebrating its 51st year. The very first concert took place at Rockefeller Center in New York City in 1974.
The local concert is organized by Gary Buttery, the retired principal tuba of the Coast Guard Band. He is now an adjunct professor of music at Connecticut College, serving as director of bands and a low brass instructor.
“All those tubas on stage. It is the most gorgeous sound,” he says of the upcoming concert.
Tim, a physician with Middlesex Health who practices in Essex, did not plan to play the tuba when he entered high school in Cleveland, Ohio. In fact, Tim didn’t play any instrument, but the school let students who had no musical experience join the band and would then give them lessons.
After considering the French horn, Tim finally decided to try the tuba.
“I thought playing tuba would be cool, to my parents’ chagrin,” he recalls.
The tuba belonged to his high school. So, when Tim graduated, his tuba days were done for many years until the late Essex resident, Stu Ingersoll—who not only played the tuba, but also bought and sold the instruments—lent one to Tim so he could play in the Old Lyme Town Band. Subsequently, Tim bought a tuba from Ingersoll.
So, the logical conclusion would be that Tim is still playing the tuba in the Old Lyme Town Band. However, that is not that case, and here is how that happened.
The band’s lone percussion player sat near the tuba players, but then that percussion player left. Players in the brass section then stepped in, with Tim among them.
“The bass drum seemed easy. Just count to four,” he says.
Tim next took a few drum lessons so he could play other percussion instruments. Now, instead of playing tuba in the band, he heads the percussion section of the Old Lyme Town Band.
Tim will be playing drums at the Old Lyme Town Band Christmas Concert on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. at The Kate in Old Saybrook. This is a special time for the Old Lyme Town Band as the group is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Tim that says percussion parts can be challenging to read because, rather than featuring bass and treble clefs with different notes, percussion parts are written as one continuous line of the same note. The rhythm notations, however, do change.
“The hard part is knowing where your place is because all the notes are on one line,” he says.
According to Tim, there is one clue of a potential problem which is easy to interpret.
“The band director gives you, you know, a funny look,” he says.
In addition to the tuba and percussion, Tim, simply for his own pleasure, has started playing the mandolin after he discovered one of his relatives had one. The instrument is a classic: a 1916 Gibson.
Tim has found some online sites for instruction, including one which specializes in Irish music. He also likes to play a bit of bluegrass, as well as some Rod Stewart songs. What is the net effect of all the music?
“I am driving my wife crazy,” he admits.
Tim points out that playing instruments and playing with instrumental groups is about much more than the notes on the page.
“It’s about camaraderie, seeing other people. It’s fun to do and a challenge,” he says.
In addition to his musical activities, Tim has been president of the Essex Rotary for five years. He didn’t plan on doing it for this long.
“I said I would do it for a year, and I am still doing it. Nobody else has stepped up,” he says.
Tim notes all of the community work which the Rotary does. This includes providing financial support for a range of organizations, including Tri-Town Youth Services, the Essex Fire Department, the Essex Ambulance Association, Ivoryton Illuminations, the Ancient Order of Essex Weeders, and the Visiting Nurses.
After attending Saint Louis University, Tim graduated from the medical school at Ohio State University and has practiced as an internist for 40 years. However, that is about to change. Tim will retire in June of 2025.
“I am 68. I know it is time now,” he says.
Tim has no firm plans for what comes next. He will not move, but he hopes to do some traveling. Tim and his wife have talked about getting an RV and doing some exploring.
“It’s still at the, ‘Wouldn’t that be a great idea stage?’” he explains.
However, at the moment, holiday concerts are what is on Tim’s schedule.
“I’ve been getting ready, practicing for Tuba Christmas,” he says.
The Tuba Christmas Concert will be held on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. at the auditorium of The Morgan School located at 71 Killingworth Turnpike in Clinton. The concert is free.
The Old Lyme Town Band Christmas Concert will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. at The Kate in Old Saybrook. Tickets are available through the box office or online at: www.thekate.org/events/calendar/#filter.