IMPROMPTU by Rosie Constantine
Aubrey Foard
TUBA
For Principal Tuba Aubrey Foard , creating the big picture is about focusing on the little things . Be it practicing his tuba or training for his next race , it ’ s the attention to detail that creates real change and continual growth .
“ The amount of practice , discipline , and focus that it takes to workout correctly is very similar to what we do on our instruments ,” says Aubrey . “ That means being able to focus on every minor detail in order to improve as a whole . Each movement of our body helps to create a more beautiful sound , and as soon as you start playing , you have to pay attention . When you ’ re an athlete , you need to work on the right form to achieve the results that you want .”
While much of the work is attributed to routine and endurance , Aubrey defines the key element to his success as passion .
“ Passion , for me , is what you can ’ t imagine your life without . It ’ s a deep , core-driven need that you wake up every day wanting to do . There ’ s not been a day in my life where I haven ’ t wanted to be a musician . Sure , there are some days I haven ’ t wanted to play the tuba , but every day of my life has been about music .”
As if his workout routine wasn ’ t already enough to add to a busy schedule at the BSO , Aubrey also takes great pride in his studio at the University of California , Los Angeles ( UCLA )— where each week he teaches an entire studio in less than 24 hours before catching a flight back to the East Coast for the BSO ’ s rehearsals . And the first thing he does when he gets home ? A long run .
“ For me , a good run as soon as I get home is critical to combatting my jetlag . It makes the transition so much easier ! But you can probably tell , there ’ s really never an average day for me . Every day is just about trying to fit in as much as possible . Through teaching and performing , I really hope to inspire people to live the best versions of their lives . Maybe it ’ s making them feel better after a performance ; maybe it ’ s a new cultural experience that they ’ ve never witnessed before . That ’ s the real beauty of culture in our society : inspiring personal growth .”
MITRO HOOD
40 OVERTURE / BSOmusic . org