Who is the middle aged man walking around Burke/Fairfax with a Tuba?

edit by Cary: Altered the subject line to add "Braddock Road and GMU area" for clarity as duplicate threads were being created. I've personally seen this guy many times and he picks up trash on Braddock Rd while marching along. He seems to be quite popular as many cars honk and wave.

edit by Cary #2: Merged two more threads into this one, "Tuba Guy with Propeller!" and "Random Tuba Guy?!". May the subject lines be your guide as to which post was originally posted to which thread.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/10/2011 05:30PM by Cary.

I don't know, but I saw him the other day. He's even got a VA license plate on the tuba.

that man is mr. converse. his daughter is rachel converse who attended robinson. Rachel converse was known as praying mantis girl because she carried a praying mantis hand puppet at all times.

He was playing a sousaphone. just thought i'd clarify.

And he played "Don't Stop Believing" at my request.

Im going to get my Oboe and start jamming with that dude. I saw him bumbling about the intersection 2 days in a row.

Please don't hit him with your car, he pays for my college.

--his daughter

So glad I'm not the only one who thought this was noteworthy. Gotta be great exercise!

His name is Robert Paulson...

He's pretty cool, I've seen him as far down Braddock as Shirley Gate and up to NVTC.

i see him on braddock all the time

Saw tuba guy yesterday on Braddock. Tuba has something written on it. Very distracting whilst driving, I am afraid he will cause an accident.

I saw him the other day and he has installed a propeller on the bell of his tuba. It spins as he walks along.

The guy isn't hurting anything with his tuba walking. I much prefer this type of nut to the ones that hear voices that tell them to blow the head off the first person they see wearing white. Like the guy that wasted a Naval officer waiting for a bus at the Pentagon some years ago.

Where can I find Tuba Man?

Tuba Guy is Nuts Wrote:
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> Where can I find Tuba Man?


Braddock Road near Mason.

on the Tuba it says (edit)"YOUR AD HERE" (apparently I effed that one up LoLz) well, in my defense, I was doing about 30 in the opposite direction


@johnp - also saw him on Roberts Rd a cpl of days ago

@yeah - if someone walking down the side of a road can cause you to have an accident, I suggest that person TURN IN THEIR LICENSE as they are unqualified to operate a motor vehicle

@say - I TOTALLY AGREE - best he exorcise his demons instead of bottle them up, y'know?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2011 08:28PM by Gordon Blvd.

The Northern Virginia Training Center in on that stretch of Braddock. Maybe tuba man is a resident of the facility?

The writing on the sousaphone (not tuba) is "YOUR AD HERE." I wish him luck in getting a sponsor. We need more people like him with a sense of humor around here.

He lives in King park west townhomes. I know his sister and his not allowed to play the tuba at his house. His Wife (she wears the pants in ther house). tells him to say at least 2 blocks away from his house.

*
Attachments:

Braddock Road driver Wrote:
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> The writing on the sousaphone (not tuba) is "YOUR
> AD HERE." I wish him luck in getting a sponsor.
> We need more people like him with a sense of humor
> around here.

+1

The tuba guy is my older brother......he is basically harmless......and he's not nuts (Unless you talk to his kids!).....imagine power walking while playing a tuba(sousaphone), is that great cardio or what??


That type of behavior was the norm around our house while growing up....no harm no foul.....our life was never dull!!

Tuba Guys Bro Wrote:
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> The tuba guy is my older brother......he is
> basically harmless......and he's not nuts (Unless
> you talk to his kids!).....imagine power walking
> while playing a tuba(sousaphone), is that great
> cardio or what??
>
>
> That type of behavior was the norm around our
> house while growing up....no harm no foul.....our
> life was never dull!!

Hats off to your bro for doing his part in making Fairfax County a little more colorful. There is no local color here. Bring it on, Tuba Dude!

I wish Tuba Guy would wear a Darth Vader costume like in this video of a trombone guy.

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/darth-vader-trombone-dance/1jrpjkfn5

Thanks for making my day and giving me a good laugh when I'm stuck in traffic on Braddock Road Tuba Guy!

He does make sitting in traffic near GMU fun. It is like where's Waldo for the kids.

Go tuba guy go!

Any day I see the Tuba Guy is a good day. Last time, the writing on the tuba/sousaphone/whatever said, "YOUR AD HERE."

I saw him on May 21. His tuba (sousaphone) said "Not Raptured".

I saw the "not raptured" and just figured that we were both "left behind". I was a little bummed till I found out that not many were Raptured that day.

yesterday his tuba read "Sanity is Overrated". I agree...
Any one know where we can find a cheap Timpani drum set? Needs wheels to keep up with him... :P

Go Tuba Guy!!!

i haven't seen him yet! any recent sitings?

Minifiddler Wrote:
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> yesterday his tuba read "Sanity is Overrated". I
> agree...
> Any one know where we can find a cheap Timpani
> drum set? Needs wheels to keep up with him... :P
>
> Go Tuba Guy!!!

That is hilarious! He should go on the David Letterman Show. David, are you listening? Can anyone post a video of him on YouTube?

I see tuba guy on weekends when I drive home from work. He always makes me smile. I think I have a picture of him on my phone.

Mr. Jay Converse, aka "Tuba Guy", June 1, 2011.

Wiki article.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2011 06:45PM by chuckhoffmann.

I met Tuba Guy coming out of the 7-11 near Yen Cheng on Wednesday. I know, it's a sousaphone, but sousaphone-guy just doesn't have the same ring to it. Had a nice conversation before he went on his way. Said his walking and playing began because his wife was not thrilled about him playing in the house, and developed into a cardio workout... he was walking/playing for nearly 10K today. Other factoids... his kids know about the postings here on FU, the police are aware of him and leave him alone, and he lives in Kings Park West, which is why you see him so often near GMU. Oh yeah, the propeller spins in the breeze; I twirled it.

Somebody should start a fan site for him. Or maybe a greatest hits album. The playing is actually very good.

Travis Hammill Wrote:
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> He was playing a sousaphone. just thought i'd
> clarify.
>
I saw him last night at about 7pm in Fairfax City, playing his sousaphone and dancing. He also had a fan this time hooked to his instrument and was just smiling away. He is a good guy.

Finally got to meet TubaGuy - he now has a Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/TubaGuy/188391947878495

http://www.facebook.com/pages/TubaGuy/188391947878495

Wait... does this guy walk around with a tuba? I think I've seen him strolling down Zion Rd one afternoon. I figured it was some kid practicing for the marching band.

http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/read/2/425644.html

So, has anyone seen the guy that walks around the Burke/Fairfax area playing the tuba?! I have seen this guy 3 times, once on Burke Centre Parkway and twice on Ox Road, walking along the path playing a tuba that says "Eat at Joe's." The tuba also seems to have some sort of propeller on it. Yesterday he was doing this in 100-degree weather!

Has anyone seen him, and if so, does anyone know what his deal is?

Ok, just realized there's already a thread for this!

fromNOVAduh Wrote:
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> http://www.facebook.com/pages/TubaGuy/188391947878
> 495


I am fascinated by sousaphone guy. I think he's awesome!! Walk on brother!!

Saw him today at the corner of Sideburn and Braddock. WTF? There was some kind of red white and blue stuff on his tubaphone. I thought he was an NVTC escapee or something.

I saw him walking down 29 by the kmart in fx city.

He's a former member of the late UVa Pep Band.

Should have known.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/fairfax-countys-tuba-guy-fills-the-streets-with-his-sound/2011/07/01/AGRD4OuH_story.html

Old HS buddy/band member - he played trumpet then... guess he hasn't changed much!

That's my bro.....

Wonder who 'Romeo' is that posted, either he misspoke and meant to say he knows Rachel, my niece... Or he does know me and I don't remember. I think perhaps it is the former rather than the latter....

thanks for the posts guys.... "Not Raptured" cracked me up!!!! I'm in Oregon so I can't exactly see this phenomenon, though I do completely understand it :)

And to @yeah, either turn in your license, or just stop driving.

Hopefully you are not someone that would argue that they can safely text and drive, or even talk on the cell and drive. Neither practice is defensible. When we, humans, are driving in the car? just be IN the car and drive, no cell. Period.

Tuba guy is great! He's a normal guy who is enjoying life, getting some great exercise, and giving people a reason to "lighten up" when stuck in traffic. We enjoy seeing him around the neighborhood. He is also a great IT support guy when not tuba-walking!

He was hang out at the Fairfax city Parade.

I've seen him several times on Braddock Rd and recently on Roberts Rd. Always brings a smile to my face. Thanks !!!!!!!

He was near the Burke Walmart and then on Roberts last night. We saw him at the 4th of july parade and my kids love him. Even if he was wacko (which it seems as though he is not, just excentric), I like it. We assumed he was for excercise too. How great is that! Getting in shape and doing what you like. It sure beats staring at pavement when I jog.

So he's apparently training for a marathon.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/fairfax-countys-tuba-guy-fills-the-streets-with-his-sound/2011/07/01/AGRD4OuH_story.html

I saw him last week on Braddock walking east near the Roberts Rd intersection.

Do you think I would cramp his style if I walked alongside him with my triangle?

Saw him yesterday on Burke Centre Parkway. He always seems to pick the hottest days...every time I see him it's like 100 degrees!

FrostedMiniWheats Wrote:
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> I saw him last week on Braddock walking east near
> the Roberts Rd intersection.
>
> Do you think I would cramp his style if I walked
> alongside him with my triangle?

Tuba Guy isn't gay.

Everyone thinks there is a political reason he is walking with his tuba. Its fine for him and for the street walkers he entertains, but it distracts drivers. Not safe. Perhaps he can do his walks in park areas instead.

Follow Fairfax’s famous TubaGuy via Facebook—the next best thing to live.
By Elizabeth Vandenburg
http://fairfaxcity.patch.com/articles/now-on-the-web-tuba-guy-my-local-hero
Attachments:

Played the national anthem at a swim meet at Kings Ridge yesterday.

If he is causing you to have a traffic accident, you should not be driving.

OMG!! I work in Crystal City and take the VRE to my home in Manassas. Yesterday there were three people talking about "Tuba Guy" at the station in CC! I googled him this morning just out of curiosity and low and behold...there he is!!
I have read some of the posts above and let me just say this. I am so happy to see someone POSITIVE doing something FUN and making all the people smile! No one but he and his family and friends know his back story so stop judging. If you say he will cause an accident, I agree with those that say GET OFF THE ROAD! You must not be a very good driver!
I just might take a ride to Braddock road on my next day off to meet him and thank him for bringing a smile to SOME who enjoy his talent!!!

God Bless the Tuba Guy!!!

The other night I saw a car on the road with the license plate, "TUBA." I'm sure it was him!

ginger Wrote:
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> Everyone thinks there is a political reason he is
> walking with his tuba. Its fine for him and for
> the street walkers he entertains, but it distracts
> drivers. Not safe. Perhaps he can do his walks in
> park areas instead.


You so vely vely Asian, yes?

I saw him earlier in the week with a Football thing on his tuba

Anyone seen Tuba man lately?

Playing on Roberts Road last week, near Robinson HS

On Saturday he was on Braddock Road by the Wakefield/Audrey Moore Rec Center, tuba complete with propeller and sign that said (if I am remembering correctly) Sanity is Overrated

Long walk day. Tuba Guy was also spotted near North Springfield ES on Saturday.

i saw him at fat tuesdays. i thought he worked there or something because he hung the tuba on a hook that looked like it was just for the tuba.

Saw him yesterday on Little River Turnpike near the Beltway, dressed up as Santa. His bass now has a double propeller thing going on it, and it was great!

AWESOME!! i love it

I spotted the "tuba guy" in the last few weeks before christmas with his tuba all covered in Christmas lights.(He was out in the dark). Very festive! He was at the intersection of Braddock and Shirley Gate.

March of the ‘Tuba Guy’
Fairfax man draws a following for roadside tuba performances
by Holly Hobbs, Staff Writer
Thursday, Apr. 12, 2012
http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/article/20120412/NEWS/704129766/1076/fairfax-city-proposes-firefighter-staff-reductions/March-of-the-‘Tuba-Guy’&template=fairfaxTimes

Dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, bandana and 40-pound, nickel-plated Sousaphone wrapped around his midriff, Milton Jennings ‘Jay’ Converse draws stares, smiles and more than a few car honks as he marches down Braddock Road performing hits like “Banana Boat Song (Day-o)” on his tuba.

Traffic is heavy as area residents head home from work, but many slow down to watch Jay play.

Converse’s nearly daily after-work march is part of his workout routine, but the 56-year-old has earned himself the status of local celebrity, complete with rumor mill.

“The rumor at Robinson [Secondary] School is that I was either a crack head or a homeless guy because who else would do this,” said Converse, who works for a Herndon-based technology firm. The resident of note is commonly known as the “Tuba Guy” around Fairfax, with a Facebook following of 141, headlines and blogs dedicated to his march.

“I had this old Sousaphone in the basement and I started cracking some notes and my family started saying ‘Dad! Hey, Dad!’ because you could hear it throughout the house. So I went out to Braddock Road,” he said. “It started with it being ‘Well, let’s play for a few blocks’ to ‘let’s go around the high school Robinson [Secondary School], which is basically a 5K.” Today his route consists of traveling from his home, just off of Braddock Road in Fairfax, to Shirley Gate and back a five-mile trek.

“There are less people to bother [outside]. I like to crank it up a bit,” he said. “I try to tone it down when I pass the school and church.”

The routine began in late summer 2004 as Converse readied for the 30th anniversary of the University of Virginia’s pep-band, a group he helped form in the 1970s. Around this same time, Converse said he visited a doctor who told him his cholesterol was up. Since then, Converse has lost 30 pounds.

“He’s lost weight. He’s gotten in better shape. It’s a great stress reducer for him,” said Elise Converse, Jay’s wife. “We’re all just very happy that he’s found something to do.”

Elise said her husband is a high-energy guy who makes friends wherever he goes.

“He’s the kind of person who’s never met a stranger,” she said. “Everyone asks, ‘Well did your wife kick you out of the house’ and the answer is ‘No.’ He did that on his own… None of us are embarrassed by him. We think it’s great that he does it.”

Converse’s repertoire has also grown with his length of route. His catalogue includes a little bit of The Beatles, a little bit of show tunes, Disney movie soundtrack classics like “When You Wish Upon A Star” from Pinocchio and “Heigh-Ho [Height-Ho. It’s off to work we go]” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

“It’s freedom. I’m the only guy out there. I get to play what I want to play,” Converse says. Sometimes, Converse receives song requests from cars flying by on Braddock Road.

“I hear ‘Play Free Bird’ a lot. People laugh. I actually know ‘Free Bird’ [by Lynyrd Skynyrd]. But when I play it they don’t recognize it. They don’t know it,” Converse said of the tune that is commonly shouted out during live concerts or performances as a means of heckling musicians.

Converse, who received his master’s degree at neighboring George Mason University, was invited last fall to play with the school’s Green Machine pep-band, lead by music Professor and fellow tuba player Michael Nickens.

“When I heard about a Sousaphone player regularly and inexplicably cruising the neighborhood, I was happy to know that people are out there doing things that make them happy no matter how quirky or out of the ordinary they are. And if it includes a Sousaphone with text and propellers, then even better,” said Nickens, lovingly nicknamed ‘Doc Nix,’ a moniker that comes with similar out of the box antics seen at GMU basketball games.

“The day I met him, I was driving near Braddock and 123 and saw him doing his musical exercise,” Nickens said. “I happened to have my own tuba in the car with me, so I thought the best way to meet him would be an impromptu session of dueling tubas in the University Mall parking lot. After trading blues choruses quite skillfully on his part—I had to invite him to play with the Green Machine.”

During football season, Converse performs at Fairfax’s Fat Tuesday’s restaurant, where games are aired. Every time the Redskins score a touchdown, Converse plays “Hail to the Redskins” on his tuba and receives free drinks in return.

He jokes that he did not receive that many free drinks or play “Hail to the Redskins” that often this past season.

“He’s developed a following,” said neighbor Rich Juchnewicz. “He’s made a big kid out of all of us. It’s pretty cool… I’m just grinning ear-to-ear talking about him.”

Juchnewicz said, as a neighbor, Converse is loud but welcome.

“It’s more like a deep bass. You can feel it more than you can hear it sometimes,” he said, adding that children in particular are drawn to Converse and his tuba, which is often decorated in large propellers and a drawn-on license plate on the back of the horn that reads “TUBA.”

Converse said he hopes his application to perform during Fairfax’s Independence Day Parade gets approved because he is planning a new, patriotic-theme decor for his horn.

While his initial goal was to play more tuba and exercise more, Converse said he’s a true multi-tasker now.

“I’m …out in the fresh air, getting great exercise, practicing music, slowing down traffic, making little kids and a few big kids—happy,” he said. “I’m amazed sometimes when I see smile, smile, smile go by and then I see someone go by with a frown … I think, ‘How can you see something like this and not smile?’”

Shamus Ian Fatzinger/Fairfax County Times Fairfax resident Jay Converse's Sousaphone draws attention from passersby as he marches down Braddock Road. People honk and wave. The "Tuba Guy" even has his own facebook page.
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It's upsetting to me, a fellow Tuba player, that Tuba guy has a Bulova sticker on his sousaphone. I knew I should have done more outreach to the brass community.

BrianSchoeneman Wrote:
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> It's upsetting to me, a fellow Tuba player, that
> Tuba guy has a Bulova sticker on his sousaphone. I
> knew I should have done more outreach to the brass
> community.

I feel nothing but disdain for the poor deluded followers of Sharon Bulova.

Thank you Tuba Guy for supporting my program of luxury housing, free food, free education, and free medical care for undocumented immigrants. It's a moral duty, and we can afford it if everyone would just support a few more tax increases.

Sharon Bulova Wrote:
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> Thank you Tuba Guy for supporting my program of
> luxury housing, free food, free education, and
> free medical care for undocumented immigrants.
> It's a moral duty, and we can afford it if
> everyone would just support a few more tax
> increases.

I'm voting for Brian Schoeneman.

picture him in an actual marathon with that thing :)

It was AWESOME to open up the paper and see him on it!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2012 11:11AM by Gordon Blvd.

What a frigging idiot. He must be smoking some good ganja...pass to the left.

Used to think he was weird in a fun, ok way. Now having seen his Bulova sticker, you know he's a socialist loser who believes in making you a slave to government. Fuck Tuba Guy!

Hey now - give him the benefit of the doubt. He probably just didn't know that, as a fellow Tuba player, I would work in Richmond to ensure that members of the brass family aren't discriminated against by woodwinds, and would support a tax credit for slide oil.

Besides, David has better hair than me.

@Disappointed -

It's unfortunate that you had to use such language, but I respect your 1st amendment rights.

However, I need to state that I am not a "socialist". My first degree from UVA was in Soviet and Eastern European Economics, so I'm familiar with the differences between socialism, democracy, oligopoly, cartels, and regulated monopolies. When the Soviet Union collapsed, I had a shelf of books that I had to throw away, because it clearly showed that the socialist economic model is not sustainable. And in any case, I had never planned to _become_ a socialist, I merely wished to understand the mathematics behind the model.

My support for David Bulova is personal. He came to our neighborhood pool one evening, met dozens of us neighbors, and proved himself to be a intelligent, likeable politician. I have a strong BS-detector, and it just never went off. Have you ever met him? He's a local boy, and he represents our area well.

In conclusion, Mr. Disappointed, if you would like to discuss politics on a non-anonymous basis, you can catch me at Fat Tuesday's most days of the week after I finish my workout. If you're over 21, I'll buy the first beer.

Regards,
Jay "TubaGuy" Converse

I am sorry for using that Language. I just hate Liberals and can't stand in what they believe, I think I will take you off in the offer , just will need to leave the house without my wife finding out where I'm going

Jay, you're awesome. Who cares what politics you follow, you just seem like a really cool guy.

I see you at Fats all the time, I'm there most Tuesdays/Wednesdays. Next time I see you I'm gonna say hi! Tall guy, bald, glasses. Beers all around!

"...and proved himself to be a intelligent, likeable politician."

The world is full of articulate and charismatic politicians. This does not make them good people nor does it make them people I would trust to do what is best for me, my community, my state, my nation or my species.



"I have a strong BS-detector, and it just never went off."

So he's either really good at lying or, worse, actually believes the BS he spews.

Next time I'm in Fats, I'll look for you, Jay.