Learn 100% more about the tuba in this episode than you’ve ever known! Norwegian tuba soloist and chamber musician Øystein Baadsvik is the only tuba virtuoso in the world to make a career exclusively as a soloist. He is also the only tuba player in the world to have a great story about touring with a punk band. He joins us all the way from Norway to tell us about this shadowy instrument: its size, its repertoire, and its fnugg.

Audio production by Todd “Tall Texan” Hulslander with slings and arrows by Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode: – Bass Tuba Concerto in F Minor, 1st mvmt, by Ralph Vaughn Williams. Performed by Øystein Baadsvik. – Concerto for Tuba and Orchestra 1st mvmt, by John Williams. Performed by Øystein Baadsvik. – Fnugg from The Front Row – Reserved (a Houston Public Media compilation CD). Performed by Øystein Baadsvik. – Fnugg from YouTube video – Blood Sweat and Tears tuba solo from YouTube video – The Cod Lovers – Encounters II for solo tuba, performed by Roger Bobo – Csárdás by Vittorio Monti, performed by Øystein Baadsvik. – Ordner seg (It’ll Be All Right) from Ferry Tales by Øystein Baadsvik. – Winter from the Four Seasons Concerto by Antonio Vivaldi, performed by Øystein Baadsvik.

For more about Øystein Baadsvik: www.baadsvik.com.

PS, The title for this show was inspired by a great band called 500 Megatons of Boogie. You can find out more about them here: www.reverbnation.com/500megatonsofboogie