Recapping a Successful Spring Exhibition Season
There is nothing quite like the energy of a live exhibition and, for us here at Wessex Tubas, February and April weren't just months on the calendar; they were a whirlwind of road trips, performances, and the joy of seeing old friends and making new ones across the United States.
From the heart of Texas to the historic grounds of Arlington and the competitive stages of Oklahoma, here is a look back at where we’ve been and the music we made along the way.
Deep in the Heart of Texas: TMEA 2026
Our first stop was the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention.
TMEA is a large-scale Texas-based convention, working to ensure excellence in music education for all Texas students. Over 14,000 school music educators are TMEA members belonging to one of five TMEA Divisions: Band, Orchestra, Vocal, Elementary and College.
And, if you’ve never been, it’s hard to describe the scale of the convention itself; thousands of bands across Texas converge for three days of pure musical immersion.
Jonathan was joined by Peter Dixon at the Wessex booth.
We saw roughly 500 people over the course of the three-days, talking music and letting players get their hands on our latest brass and saxophones and, while tubas aren't exactly impulse buys you can tuck under your arm and walk away with (a couple of musicians actually did!), the interest in our brass instruments and the appreciation of our contained quality improvements was phenomenal.
From the Lone Star State to "Pershing’s Own"
After packing up in Texas, Jonathan made the long trek driving to Washington D.C.with a truck full of Tubas for one of our favorite annual traditions: the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" Tuba-Euphonium Workshop in Arlington.
This event is a true "who’s who" of the low brass world as Jorge Latorre and Manuel Melchor from Spain joined the team to help manage the booth during the two-day exhibition.
It was a particularly proud weekend for the Wessex family, as Manuel was also performed prestigious recital on two Wessex Tubas (Chicago-York and Berg F)
The workshop is always a high-intent environment; we actually saw four Wessex Tubas find new homes right off the floor! There is something special about the Army workshop, the camaraderie among euphonium and tuba players creates an atmosphere that feels less like a trade show and more like a warm and welcoming family reunion.
Victory at NABBA
A couple months later in April we then visited Oklahoma for the NABBA (North American Brass Band Association) Championships where Steve and Jennifer Dixon represented Wessex, and the weekend couldn't have gone better.
We want to extend a massive congratulations to the Five Lakes Silver Band, who took home the championship title!
As a proud sponsor, it was a thrill to hear them win with the entire bass section playing on Wessex Elgar-Americano and Prokofiev tubas and seeing our horns on the winning stage is the ultimate testament to why we do what we do.
What’s in the Van?
People often ask us how we decide on which instruments to bring to which exhibitions, and the trust is: It’s a mix of our latest launches, our most popular tubas and euphonium instruments, and - honestly - whatever we can fit in the van!
We try to bring a diverse spread so that whether you are a student looking for your first horn or a pro looking for a specialised Cimbasso, there is something for you to play-test.
Throughout The Year
The year is far from over and we are already prepping for a massive finish to 2026, including the Midwest Music Education Conference in Chicago this December.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by the booth this spring - we’ll see you at the next one!