Sousaphone destroyed in parachute accident

A parachutist overflew his landing site and plowed into a military band at a military review in Kansas Thursday, hurting several band members and destroying at least two sousaphones.



After some concern that there would not be enough members to continue the ceremonies, the band played on.

I am worried that incidents like this will quell the recent enthusiasm for playing the tuba and sousaphone generated by the advent of the Sousaphone Hero video game. Once kids realize how dangerous playing the sousaphone can be they may think twice about taking it up. Or it may have the opposite effect, as thrill junkies hop on the sousaphone bandwagon due to the romance of braving danger to play the instrument they love.

Will Sousaphone Hero inspire a new generation of Tubists?

The Onion reports that the new Xbox 360 game Sousaphone hero sales have lagged far behind the previous popularity of Guitar Hero. As a tuba player myself I had high hopes that this game would turn a whole new generation of tuba players onto how cool Sousaphones are. I am ready to go out an update to an Xbox 360 just to get this game.

For the uninitiated, sousaphones are merely tubas that have been wrapped around in a circle for easy holding. The computer game comes with a wireless controller for more convenience when marching.

Some features of the game are highlighted in the article.

Sousaphone Hero offers two dozen public-domain marches, including 1893's "The Liberty Bell," 1896's "Stars and Stripes Forever," and 1897's "Entry of the Gladiators." The bulky sousaphone-shaped controller coils around the body, and players wear white spat-like foot coverings fitted with sensors that monitor synchronized marching steps...

...Players may also choose from 27 different fat-guy characters who can be customized with Alpine hats, epaulets, and a mustache editor with a wide array of options.

There are some fun game modes as well.

"In the career mode, you can rise from playing in park gazebos for church picnics to performing in the halftime show of the Harvard-Yale game," Hendleman said. "If you score enough points, you can unlock the ultimate level: playing in the John Philip Sousa–led Marine Band at Grover Cleveland's inauguration."

How could that excitement not draw kids into the exciting world of the Sousaphone? Sousaphone players go on to have very rewarding careers and lives.

Soldiers

Beautiful Women

Me








It may be too early to redo this cartoon (apologies to carlh) which reflects the coolness of Sousaphone Hero vs. a real sousaphone.