Tired of such abuse, euphoniumists are blowing their own horn. Euphoniumists can now test their technique in three international competitions. They can join Willson Euphonium Society created last year by the U.S. distributer for a Swiss euphonium maker. It has 65 members. About 200 euphoniumists are gathering this week in Arlington, Va., with an equal number of tuba types for a confab and giant jam.
Euphonium comes from the Greek word for sweet voiced, hence the adjective euphonious.
It sounds good. For all their sounding off, though, euphoniumists have a definite visibility problem. That, they all seem to agree, stems from having nobody to point to as a role model. The trumpet had Dizzy Gillespie, the clarinet Benny Goodman. Even Tubbly the Tuba is a ready reference.