Tuba Valentine ...

Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Surprise your valentine with a tuba and euphonium serenade
by Stephanie Daniels of North Texas Daily

UNT Students purchase more than 30 tuba Valentines each year.

Some send flowers on Valentine’s Day – not everyone sends a quartet of tuba and euphonium players.

This year, the North Texas Tuba and Euphonium Association is helping students make this Valentine’s Day original by sending four players to serenade that special someone. The event is a fundraiser for the organization.

“It’s a fun experience. I love seeing the surprise on the people’s face when they get a tuba valentine,” said James Cunico, a member and music junior. “ It’s also been good to get our instruments out there, because it’s not an instrument you would expect.”

Too good tuba true!

Each tuba quartet performance comes with a chocolate rose and a personalized Valentine’s Day card. On-campus valentines cost $25 and off-campus valentines cost $35, according to the organization’s website.

The North Texas chapter of the International Tuba and Euphonium Association was formed in November 2002.

The organization promotes the tuba and euphonium family of instruments through education while sharing music with others, said Zack Corpus, president of the association.

“We like to provide an exemplary collegiate experience for them while at UNT,” he said. “We also seek to spread the word about our family of instruments and aid in the education of younger generations.”

Corpus said he’s coordinated the Valentine’s Day fundraiser for the past two years.

Students purchase more than 30 tuba valentines each year, said Don Little of the music faculty.

“When this first started going on, I wouldn’t say we were skeptical, but we didn’t think it would be such a success,” he said.

The past two years have been tremendously successful, not only in the fundraising aspect of the project, but in making the community more aware of this particular family of instruments, Corpus said.

“One person proposed, and there was crying and great stuff,” he said.

Lauren Veronie, a UNT alumna, started the tuba valentine tradition, Corpus said.

Veronie created the list of songs customers can choose, including “My Girl,” “My Guy,” “When I Fall In Love,” “Always & Forever,” “Hey Baby” and “Can’t Help Myself.”

“It’s been a hit, a surprise hit,” Little said. “It’s really become popular.”

To purchase a tuba valentine, contact 785-410-3324 or unttubavalentines@gmail.com.