Three Decades of the Freak Jury

Rick Denney · Post by **Rick Denney** » Thu Apr 16, 2026 10:49 am

Thanks for bringing up Klaus. He really added to the old Tubenet with a unique perspective. He probably rejected the notion of the Freak Jury, and certainly the self-deprecating humor that created the name, but he was definitely a valued member of it.

Rick “another old friend who is gone” Denney

bloke · Post by **bloke** » Thu Apr 16, 2026 11:12 am

I believe I deserve credit for "freak jury", "dent bag", "kolij", "fessers", (more recently) "young scholars", and probably some other technical terms.
Bill Holt came up with "13" (which is probably why a bunch of kolig fessers told their young scholars to not read tubenet (which - duh - de facto compelled them to read it).

What is the definition of "freak jury"...??

Here (it may take a few days, assuming people gloming on to this troll) is a classic example of "freak jury":

https://tubaforum.net/viewtopic.php?t=13933

the elephant · Post by **the elephant** » Thu Apr 16, 2026 11:13 am

I was quite close to Klaus and had plans to visit him one day. We talked about that many times. I was hit pretty hard by his death. My participation here has lagged a lot ever since that time. I miss you, Klaus.

Søren · Post by **Søren** » Mon Apr 27, 2026 12:40 am

It was clear that Klaus had most of his life online when I met him.
When I visited him, his whole place was clearly organized with a priority of brass instruments first, the computer where he used most of his hours was second and himself third. Out of all his instruments, for some reason, I was most taken by his English tenor fanfare horn (a trombone-length instrument with valves and stretched out like a fanfare trumpet). It was refreshing to talk to someone who had so sharp and uncompromising opinions while also having a genuine interest in talking to people in great (nerdy) detail.

As a curiosity, I am sure that this is the York Master owned by Klaus that has been restored.
https://gottfried.dk/tuba-741/york-mast ... rugt-p8768

bisontuba · Post by **bisontuba** » Mon Apr 27, 2026 6:06 pm

Folks-
It is 2026....do you really want to keep calling various thoughts and opinions 'The Freak Jury?'

bort2.0 · Post by **bort2.0** » Mon Apr 27, 2026 7:04 pm

bisontuba wrote: Mon Apr 27, 2026 6:06 pm Folks-
It is 2026....do you really want to keep calling various thoughts and opinions 'The Freak Jury?'

Are you suggesting we drop the word "The"?

Simply: "Freak Jury"

No comprende.

bisontuba · Post by **bisontuba** » Mon Apr 27, 2026 7:10 pm

I just think The Freak Jury verbage is quite past its time....

bort2.0 · Post by **bort2.0** » Mon Apr 27, 2026 7:29 pm

bisontuba wrote: Mon Apr 27, 2026 7:10 pm I just think The Freak Jury verbage is quite past its time....

I mean, it was often abbreviated asTNFJ. That's good enough for me.

bisontuba · Post by **bisontuba** » Mon Apr 27, 2026 8:00 pm

Whatever....I think it turns off A LOT of potential new folks...but so be it....

bloke · Post by **bloke** » Tue Apr 28, 2026 8:19 am

"freak jury" (which I coined, so I have a right to define it)

refers to the ridiculous if not humorous politics of "the tuba" whether it refers to the vast over-hiring by government of people hired to teach others how to play the tuba (okay... At least these days more and more of them are part-time), the triggering of people who own particular models of tubas -:when negative characteristics of the models they own are discussed, or other tuba-political topics are concerned.

Additionally, it refers to when some open-ended topic such as
- B flat versus C
- Silver versus lacquer
- which mouthpiece is the best
- which model of tuba is the best
- which college or tuba is the most likely to get me a big five orchestra position
- which tuba solo is the best one to play for an audition

... whereby if 100 people answer those questions, there will be 100 diverse answers (again, mostly based on their personal "tuba politics")...
... which is probably the main reason why chuckle when Democrat Republican Libertarian Communist politics discussions are banned here, as the tuba-political discussions are so much more political than those.

hint:
When one of my posts is much longer than this one, suspect trolling.

dp · Post by dp » Tue Apr 28, 2026 8:26 am

bisontuba wrote: Mon Apr 27, 2026 8:00 pm Whatever....I think it turns off A LOT of potential new folks...but so be it....

Take it easy maybe? After what happened on "the other site" isn't it obvious that worrying about potential new folks just destroys the venue? Maybe its a shame that Men Wearing Dresses™ never made it past covid-era restrictions, but its really obvious that when "potential new folks" choose to be truly obnoxious and confrontational, most of the silent majority folks just go away, even if they're silent and you can't hear 'em as they leave

bloke · Post by **bloke** » Tue Apr 28, 2026 8:32 am

The person who reportedly is still in charge of the old site called and emailed me and asked me to please not leave the site, when I left it. (I have no idea why they did that?? Why should they care??)

It seems to me that that site is ideal and a perfect fit (and now more ideal than ever) for a handful of people who have decided to come here rather than (simply) stay there...

Rick Denney · Post by **Rick Denney** » Tue Apr 28, 2026 8:43 am

Bloke may think it's his right to define it, but words are defined by how they are used. The notion of the freak jury was that none of us really know the context of people asking questions in good faith, but were still willing to opine at length about our own answers, whether or not they applied. That is in addition to the diversity of contradicting opinion that would surely be the response to any general question. It meant that one might ask for such advice, but would be wise to exercise great caution when applying it. And that a person's teacher or colleague who knows their playing and the context of the question will probably give much better advice.

(Of course, that's not much different than what Joe said, if it's different at all.)

When older regulars asked for advice from the freak jury, they were inviting that diversity of opinions and the back-and-forth discussion it would trigger, because that's what forums do.

Rick "accepts diversity" Denney

bloke · Post by **bloke** » Tue Apr 28, 2026 8:46 am

What Rick just posted are additionally excellent aspects of the definition, but - based on my remark that a post any longer than the one that I left should possibly be suspected as a troll - I stopped where I did.

As to diversity, it's more than apparent that those who claim to be for it are those who are absolutely against it - all the way to the point of censorship and name-calling (often: names that best describe themselves).

I've never called for anyone to be banned.
Nonsense is either boring or humorous.
I can scroll past the boring, and I can chuckle at the humorous.

national politics: are why I limit my patriotism to my family, close friends, and trusted acquaintances.

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Three Decades of the Freak Jury

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