Stealing tubas in Southern California!
There have been a rash of tuba thefts from high schools in Southern California. The latest occurred at Bell High School, which lost TWO King brass sousaphones (marching band tubas) over the weekend! Each instrument was valued at $6,000. The thefts are likely related to the popularity of Mexican banda music, which is “anchored” by tubas!
The thieves cut the locks on numerous metal lockers in the school’s band room, apparently searching for the sousaphones, she said. When they didn’t find any, they broke into Chaves-Rasas’ <Ligia Chaves-Rasas, the school’s band director> office, where the uniforms and tubas are stored under lock and key.
“We have the best doors in the district — the ones with the metal plates on the outside and no handles. They still got in,” she said. Cut locks were strewn around the band room.
The thieves stole only the two metal sousaphones and left two less-expensive fiberglass sousaphones and dozens of other instruments behind, she said.
South Gate, Fremont, Jordan, and Huntington Park high schools have all lost tubas in burglaries in the last several months, and Compton‘s Centennial High School reported losing eight tubas in October.
Over the Christmas break, Sycamore Junior High School in Anaheim had all its band instruments stolen, including its tubas — a loss valued at $25,000, school officials said.
Over the New Year’s weekend, Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach had four tubas stolen, each worth $5,000, school officials said.
It is not just tubas and sousaphones that are valued. With banda‘s popularity surge, TUBA PLAYERS are sought after, and sometimes earn even DOUBLE what the other banda musicians earn!
Meanwhile, once again it is schoolkids who suffer.
-Bill at
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