Who Is Tubazimm?
In the Beginning there was tuba
My real name is Derek Zimmerman. I began playing tuba at age of ten in the Germantown Hills fifth grade band and have loved it ever since. The tuba became my true passion from an early age and is still my primary focus to this day. I began taking private lessons shortly after starting the tuba and throughout my early years enjoyed attending band camps such as Bradley Jr. High Band Camp, Illinois Summer Youth Music, the Smith Walbridge Marching Band Clinic, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
Metamora Township Years
I attended Metamora Township High School where I received an excellent music education from Mr. Chris Render and Dr. Walter Parks. Throughout my time at Metamora I played in the Wind Ensemble, Jazz bands, Metamora Marching Band,Madrigal Brass Quintet, started my own tuba quartet titled the Bottom Line Tuba Quartet, and a started a high school tuba ensemble with Metamora students and students from surrounding schools.
Some of my favorite memories from high school were traveling to the Music for All National Festival in Indianapolis, marching through downtown Disney with the Marching Band, visiting Washington D.C. with the Metamora Wind Ensemble, attending my first regional tuba conference at Illinois State University, and my first International Tuba Conference in Bloomington, Indiana. One of my first band trips was to the Music for All National Festival where I was inspired to pursue a career in music after watching the Honor band of America perform. The following year I was able to participate in the Honor Band of America and the next year I got to perform with the Honor Orchestra of America.
Throughout my high school career I was also tubist in the Central Illinois Youth Symphony, actively auditioned and participated in the ILMEA district & All-State Ensembles, and competed in the IHSA Solo and Ensemble competitions. I also had the amazing opportunity to perform a solo with the Prairie Wind Ensemble during my senior year of High School.
I also meet a mentor that would shape my mind as a tuba player, musician, and human being for years to come. After teaching a masterclass during my freshman year at MTHS, I began taking lessons with Dr. Andrew Rummel. Dr. Rummel will forever be my musical father in a way. He brought me in as a as a student from a young age and helped me take my first steps in pursuing a professional career in music. I remember driving to Illinois State on Fridays to take weekly lessons with Dr. Rummel and I wouldn't trade those Friday trips for anything.
My real name is Derek Zimmerman. I began playing tuba at age of ten in the Germantown Hills fifth grade band and have loved it ever since. The tuba became my true passion from an early age and is still my primary focus to this day. I began taking private lessons shortly after starting the tuba and throughout my early years enjoyed attending band camps such as Bradley Jr. High Band Camp, Illinois Summer Youth Music, the Smith Walbridge Marching Band Clinic, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
Metamora Township Years
I attended Metamora Township High School where I received an excellent music education from Mr. Chris Render and Dr. Walter Parks. Throughout my time at Metamora I played in the Wind Ensemble, Jazz bands, Metamora Marching Band,Madrigal Brass Quintet, started my own tuba quartet titled the Bottom Line Tuba Quartet, and a started a high school tuba ensemble with Metamora students and students from surrounding schools.
Some of my favorite memories from high school were traveling to the Music for All National Festival in Indianapolis, marching through downtown Disney with the Marching Band, visiting Washington D.C. with the Metamora Wind Ensemble, attending my first regional tuba conference at Illinois State University, and my first International Tuba Conference in Bloomington, Indiana. One of my first band trips was to the Music for All National Festival where I was inspired to pursue a career in music after watching the Honor band of America perform. The following year I was able to participate in the Honor Band of America and the next year I got to perform with the Honor Orchestra of America.
Throughout my high school career I was also tubist in the Central Illinois Youth Symphony, actively auditioned and participated in the ILMEA district & All-State Ensembles, and competed in the IHSA Solo and Ensemble competitions. I also had the amazing opportunity to perform a solo with the Prairie Wind Ensemble during my senior year of High School.
I also meet a mentor that would shape my mind as a tuba player, musician, and human being for years to come. After teaching a masterclass during my freshman year at MTHS, I began taking lessons with Dr. Andrew Rummel. Dr. Rummel will forever be my musical father in a way. He brought me in as a as a student from a young age and helped me take my first steps in pursuing a professional career in music. I remember driving to Illinois State on Fridays to take weekly lessons with Dr. Rummel and I wouldn't trade those Friday trips for anything.
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Illinois State University
After meeting Dr. Rummel in High School it was an easy decision to complete my undergaduate degree at Illinois State University. My time at Illinois State University helped me to grow immensely as a musician and a person.
During my time at Illinois State I performed in bands, orchestra, chamber music, lessons, conferences, masterclasses, the Big Red Marching Machine, competitions, started a brass band, p worked in the College of Fine Arts Dean's Office, performed with the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Heartland Festival Orchestra, Chicago Brass Band, Prairie Wind Ensemble, Peoria Municipal band, played in a rendition of Chicago the Musical, as well taking a variety of classes in business and finance.
During my summers I taught music at the Illinois State University's Junior-High Band Camp and marching band programs such as Metamora Township High School, Normal Community High School, Prairie Central High School, and Richwoods High School. I also ran live sound and lighting for Illinois State University's freshman orientation titled "Preview".
I did my best to soak up as much knowledge as could. Everything from practicing, performing, music theory, transcribing, recording, producing, live sound, composing, arranging and as much as I could soak in through the university and my connections in the music community. I also picked up bass guitar and trombone as a secondary instruments to become more diverse in my future music life.
After meeting Dr. Rummel in High School it was an easy decision to complete my undergaduate degree at Illinois State University. My time at Illinois State University helped me to grow immensely as a musician and a person.
During my time at Illinois State I performed in bands, orchestra, chamber music, lessons, conferences, masterclasses, the Big Red Marching Machine, competitions, started a brass band, p worked in the College of Fine Arts Dean's Office, performed with the Chicago Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Heartland Festival Orchestra, Chicago Brass Band, Prairie Wind Ensemble, Peoria Municipal band, played in a rendition of Chicago the Musical, as well taking a variety of classes in business and finance.
During my summers I taught music at the Illinois State University's Junior-High Band Camp and marching band programs such as Metamora Township High School, Normal Community High School, Prairie Central High School, and Richwoods High School. I also ran live sound and lighting for Illinois State University's freshman orientation titled "Preview".
I did my best to soak up as much knowledge as could. Everything from practicing, performing, music theory, transcribing, recording, producing, live sound, composing, arranging and as much as I could soak in through the university and my connections in the music community. I also picked up bass guitar and trombone as a secondary instruments to become more diverse in my future music life.
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Arranging Music
I wrote my first arrangement for low brass in Jr. High School. Penny Lane for two euphoniums and one tuba. I did this because I wanted to play the music I was listening to on my iPod. I couldn't find the right instrumentation for my friends and I on the internet, so I decided I would figure out how to arrange the music myself.
I got more into arranging in high school as the Bottom line Tuba quartet formed and we wanted to play music that was popular and fun for an audience. We did arrangements of Star Trek Into Darkness, a theme from the Hobbit soundtrack, Sam Smith cover as well as exploring standard and new music written for tuba quartet.
In College I have worked to bring my arranging up to a more professional level through arranging and writing music for tuba quartet, solo arrangements for myself, and arranged covers for the DisFunktional Brass Band.
Recording Music
As I went off to college I was forced to find a new way to play the music I wanted while still performing on tuba. This led me to begin recording the arrangements I made. Even in high school I began recording some of the arrangements I had done just to hear what they sounded like.
My experience with recording and making music led me to the creation of my first album, Mix-Tape One. Mix-Tape One was a set of songs that I had arranged or written to be performed live on the tuba. Mix-Tape One combined electronic instruments with the tuba to create a hybrid sound between the original artist's version of a song infused with Tuba. The album includes versions of pop songs and anime soundtrack themes as well as some original songs. The album was intended to be seen as sharing my favorite playlist with a friend through the lens of the tuba. All of the covers are songs that I love myself and wanted to share with others. Maybe someday there will be a Mix-Tape Two!
Publishing my first album was a great learning experience and has prepared me to write, perform, and produce even more music in the future. I now actively search for projects that I can help arrange music for and produce because I find that I love using the skills I have developed in recording, mixing, mastering, and publishing music.
I wrote my first arrangement for low brass in Jr. High School. Penny Lane for two euphoniums and one tuba. I did this because I wanted to play the music I was listening to on my iPod. I couldn't find the right instrumentation for my friends and I on the internet, so I decided I would figure out how to arrange the music myself.
I got more into arranging in high school as the Bottom line Tuba quartet formed and we wanted to play music that was popular and fun for an audience. We did arrangements of Star Trek Into Darkness, a theme from the Hobbit soundtrack, Sam Smith cover as well as exploring standard and new music written for tuba quartet.
In College I have worked to bring my arranging up to a more professional level through arranging and writing music for tuba quartet, solo arrangements for myself, and arranged covers for the DisFunktional Brass Band.
Recording Music
As I went off to college I was forced to find a new way to play the music I wanted while still performing on tuba. This led me to begin recording the arrangements I made. Even in high school I began recording some of the arrangements I had done just to hear what they sounded like.
My experience with recording and making music led me to the creation of my first album, Mix-Tape One. Mix-Tape One was a set of songs that I had arranged or written to be performed live on the tuba. Mix-Tape One combined electronic instruments with the tuba to create a hybrid sound between the original artist's version of a song infused with Tuba. The album includes versions of pop songs and anime soundtrack themes as well as some original songs. The album was intended to be seen as sharing my favorite playlist with a friend through the lens of the tuba. All of the covers are songs that I love myself and wanted to share with others. Maybe someday there will be a Mix-Tape Two!
Publishing my first album was a great learning experience and has prepared me to write, perform, and produce even more music in the future. I now actively search for projects that I can help arrange music for and produce because I find that I love using the skills I have developed in recording, mixing, mastering, and publishing music.
Outside of music I love riding my bike, listening to podcasts, following youtubers such as Dashiexp, play video games, and enjoy spending time with my friends and family.
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I want to give a special thanks to all of my mentors through the years! I could not have come this far without them!
Eric Loring - Director of Bands - Germantown Hills Middle School Adam Schneblin - Director of Bands - East Peoria Central High School Chris Render - Director of Bands - Metamora Township High School Dr. Walter Parks - Director of Bands - Metamora Township High School Dr. Andrew Rummel - Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Illinois State University Dr. Anthony Marinello - Director of Bands at Illinois State University I also want to thank my friends, my family, and especially my grandma for being so supportive over the years.
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