What do valves do?

valve 1 lowers the pitch 1 whole tone
valve 2 lowers the pitch ½ tone
valve 3 lowers the pitch 1½ tones

U.S. Olympian plays trombone...

2010 Winter Olympics: Bree Schaaf , bobsled
By Rachel Bachman, The Oregonian
February 09, 2010, 10:45 AM

Bree Schaaf
Hometown: Bremerton, Wash.
Age: 29
Main event: Bobsled
How she got here: Schaaf has reached higher levels in three sports than most people do in one. She played volleyball at Portland State and was on the World Cup skeleton team in 2003-07. After missing out on the 2006 Games, she switched to bobsled and made the Olympic team.
What are her chances: Schaaf and her USA III sled partner, Emily Azevedo of Chico, Calif., won the U.S. championships a year ago and Schaaf is 9th in World Cup points this season. The U.S., along with Germany, was one of only two nations to secure spots for three sleds in the Olympics.
What makes her different: A multi-skilled performer in music as well; Schaaf played trombone in Portland State's jazz ensemble and wind symphony and also plays guitar, harmonica, accordion, and bass.

Did you know?

The ancestor of the tuba was called the Serpent. First made in the late 16th century, they were often painted to look like fat snakes and were used as the bass line in European churches before they were supplanted by organs. The tuba arrived in the 1830s.

Benjamin Pierce...

Dr. Benjamin Pierce is a member of the music faculty at the University of Arkansas, where he teaches applied tuba and euphonium and directs the tuba/euphonium ensemble. Ben holds a bachelors degree in euphonium performance from Bowling Green State University, a masters degree in euphonium performance from the University of Michigan, and a DMA in Tuba Performance from Michigan. Ben has performed with several major ensembles including the Detroit Symphony, the Detroit Chamber Brass, the Brass Band of Battle Creek, the Toledo Symphony, and the Flint Symphony. He has frequently been a featured soloist with the Toledo Concert Band. He has served as principal tubist of the Ann Arbor Symphony and the Ann Arbor Brass Quintet and is currently principal tubist of the Northwest Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. He is also a founding member of Boston Mountain Brassworks, and the University of Arkansas faculty brass quintet. Ben has performed several guest recitals and master classes in the United States and abroad. He has also performed concerti with numerous international ensembles, including the Tokyo Symphony, the Oulu Symphony of Finland, and the Friuli Veneziano Giulia Symphony Orchestra of northern Italy. Benjamin Pierce is an amazing player on both tuba and euphonium.


Benjamin Pierce on tuba:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSHq-6-Zquc