- Hi, Ben Posner, I go to Red Hook High School and I play the tuba.

(gentle tuba music) I played the "Sarabande" from Bach's "5th Cello Suite," originally, obviously written for cello.

It's been adapted for many different instruments, mainly brass instruments.

The arrangement I played, I played an arrangement by Doug Yeo, who's a trombone player, and it's very frequently played by trombone and bass trombone players.

I played it for tuba, which is down an octave, and Bach works really well in brass instruments, on all instruments really.

It's so different than what a lot of the repertoire we have as tuba players is because, again, it's not written for us.

It's written for the cello.

It's a completely different time period.

It was, you know, like 200 years before the tuba was even invented.

I think just the style, it's really great, and also you get to play some really low notes if you do it down the octave like I did, and it's fun, and it's a good test of skill.

(gentle tuba music continues) Both my parents were brass players.

They went to Eastman School of Music for French Horn.

Neither of them play anymore, but classical music has always had a big part of my life.

And from a young age, I kind of knew I wanted to play a brass instrument.

I think I was in third grade at my school instrument tryout, the tuba was like the first one I tried, and I just loved it.

I could already play a few notes, and I just stuck with it.

(gentle tuba music continues) My practice routine, I try to get about three to four hours in every day.

That varies though, depending on schoolwork and what I have going on, but just enough to maintain my skills and to improve.

(gentle tuba music continues) My dream is to one day play with a symphony orchestra or a premier military band.

But, really, I just would love to be able to make a living playing music, whether it's with teaching or freelancing or whatever, just that's my dream.

(gentle tuba music continues) Etienne Abelin nominated me for this.

He's the director of the Empire State Youth Orchestra.

I'd love to thank both my parents for driving me to countless music lessons and stuff like this.

My private teacher, Alec Mawrence of the West Point Bras Quintet, my band teacher, Mr. Barnett, so many others to name, but those are who come to mind immediately.

(gentle tuba music continues)