Journalist and author Sam Quinones has spent his career reporting on crime, drug trafficking and addiction. After his latest book on the opioid epidemic, he wanted to write about people that he found inspiring. So, he turned to an unlikely topic that had quietly held his interest since he first covered a mysterious rash of robberies in LA in the early 2010’s. He began to interview musicians about playing the tuba. An instrument that for decades had been looked down on or ignored until its recent elevation due, in part, to the rise of banda music. 

The more Quinones learned about the tuba, and the people that dedicate their lives to mastering and teaching this complicated instrument, the more his interest in the world of band grew. In today’s episode, Sam Quinones takes us into his latest book “The Perfect Tuba.” We explore tuba’s history, some of its most interesting players, and what Quinones says we should all learn from the patience, hard work and dedication needed to master a craft.

Featured collage by Luis Luna.

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Episode credits:

Host: Maria Hinojosa

Producer and reporter: Julieta Martinelli

Editor: Marlon Bishop

Social Media: Luis Luna, Adreanna Rodriguez and Anhelo Reyes

Engineer: Julia Caruso

Managing Editor: Fernanda Echavarri

Executive Producers: Peniley Ramirez and Maria Hinojosa