Meet the Tubador

The Tubador, aka Gary McCurdy, is a graduate of the University of Iowa, and has a long career as a band director in the Community Schools of Washington, Iowa. The Tubador persona was born out of a life long desire to show the world the beauty of the musical instrument closest to Gary’s heart ~ the Tuba. Since 1990, the Tubador has been entertaining at fairs and festivals around Iowa and the surrounding states. Gary, and his wife, Virginia, operated a reservation only restaurant in the “Home of the Tubador” during the ’90s, which featured fine food and entertainment provided by none other than the Tubador himself.

In addition to performing, Gary has been active promoting the tuba and euphonium in several ways. He has written music for many years which he used as a school band director, and continues to write music for the lower register. His goal is to encourage low brass players to experience the satisfaction of being able to play the melody. Much of his music can be purchased on this website. He has organized Tubador Enterprises, which celebrates tuba players  of significance, like William Bell, and he has directed Des Moines’ Tuba Christmas for several years.

Please feel free to contact Gary with any questions you may have ~ he loves hearing from music enthusiasts ~ and is eager to help young players however he can! Emails are checked several times daily, Monday – Friday, or you can call him directly 10 am – 5 pm CST during the week at 319.461.1241.