GREENEVILLE – If you want to learn more about the capabilities of the tuba, an upcoming concert by the director of bands at Tusculum University will be a perfect opportunity.
Dr. David Gonzalez, right, and accompanist Robert Hicks practice for the recital.
Dr. David Gonzalez, who has served as Tusculum since 2021, will perform a faculty recital Thursday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m. in the Marilyn duBrisk Theatre of Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center. Accompanying him on the piano will be Robert Hicks, an adjunct faculty member at Tusculum who conducts the handbell ensemble at Heritage Academy in Monterey, Tennessee.
“Dr. Gonzalez has enhanced the school spirit on campus, the musical growth of our students and the quality of life for the community through his conducting and teaching of multiple groups,” said Rouja Green, director of Tusculum’s Center for the Arts. “However, many people might not realize how well he can play instruments. In this concert, he will demonstrate his skill and show new ways to play the tuba as he performs a wonderful recital.”
To prepare for the recital, Dr. Gonzalez has practiced about four hours a day.
He said his performance will enable audience members to experience everything they thought was impossible with a tuba. That will include higher notes and a faster tempo than what they would expect. He will play a CC tuba, which has a fundament pitch of C, and an F tuba, which has a fundamental pitch of F, during his performance.
“The recital will shatter what you thought were the limitations of the tuba,” Dr. Gonzalez said. “Even if you know what a tuba is capable of achieving, you will still be surprised by what you hear. I am excited to provide the audience with a different perspective on this instrument and expand its appreciation of the tuba.”
Here is the lineup of songs Dr. Gonzalez will perform:
Dr. Gonzalez practices for his recital.
- “Concertino Pour Tuba et Ut et Orchestra ou Piano” with three movements by Eugène Bozza
- “Concerto for Tuba, Op. 86” with three movements by James Barnes
- “Three Miniatures for Tuba and Piano” by Anthony Plog
- “Lamento fur Tuba and Clavier” by Sofia Gubaidulina
- “Mystique” by Edgar Crockett
- “Blue Bells of Scotland” by Arthur Pryor
The recital will feature an intermission halfway through the songs.
During his time at the university, Dr. Gonzalez has relaunched the Tusculum Band. Tusculum also introduced a music minor. Dr. Gonzalez conducts the Tusculum Band; the Frontier Sound pep band, which performs at home football and basketball games; and the Tusculum University Community Band. He also works with the Pioneer Independent Winter Guard. His longer-term goal is to establish a student marching band to perform on the field during home football games.
The recital is free. Anyone with questions about the event can email Green at rgreen@tusculum.edu. More information about the university is available at www.tusculum.edu.