The DePaul Tuba studio provides a practical education for those headed towards a career as a professional performance musician. Only a small number of students are accepted into the studio which better matches the reality of orchestra positions available for tubists. Admission is very competitive and students will experience a high level of playing, however the climate within the studio is very supportive. This reflects DePaul School of Music's philosophy of developing the whole person and respecting diverse approaches which has created a nurturing atmosphere for students and faculty.
Faculty
The Tuba Studio
- Tuba students at DePaul get more attention and more playing experience than in larger programs. The basic philosophy underlying Mr. Cooley's studio is the concept of a continuous circle of teacher-student-performer that one enters at any point and is an ongoing cycle. Even at the height of his performing career, Mr. Cooley continued to study with Arnold Jacobs, a relationship that lasted 30 years. During the 1992-93 season Mr. Cooley played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and was able to study more intently with Mr. Jacobs, observing his teaching methods and approaches. The experience super-charged his own interest in teaching and that same year, he started teaching at DePaul.
- Lessons in the studio are taught twice a week, every other week. In addition to classes, students participate in Mr. Cooley's master classes on orchestral repertoire and solo literature. In the spring, each student has the opportunity to perform a major solo in recital as well as in a tuba quartet which Mr. Cooley coaches.
Recent Student Performances
- Three Furies – James Grant
Concertino, Op. 77 – Jan Koetsier
Adagio and Allegro for Horn and Piano, Op. 70 – Robert Schumann
Concerto for Bass Tuba – Ralph Vaughan Williams
Horn Concerto No. 2 – Richard Strauss
Alumni Accomplishments
- Since 1992, seven Civic Orchestra of Chicago tuba players have been students of Floyd Cooley at DePaul. Former students of this studio have gone on to positions with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Symphony Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic [Japan], US Navy Band, Royal Australian Air Force Band, Alabama Symphony, Honolulu Symphony and Queensland Symphony Orchestra [Brisbane, Australia].
- “At DePaul, I developed the skills necessary to make the transition from student to professional. When choosing a school, one must seek the best combination of teacher and musical exposure. The pairing of insightful teaching and mentoring by Floyd Cooley and the renowned musical exposure in Chicago place DePaul at the top of the list!"
James Hicks, Tuba, U.S. Navy Band, Washington D.C.
