In fifth grade, Ryan Vecchio wasn’t allowed to play percussion and picked tuba because it was the only other instrument that he could make a sound on. Now, he’s one of two rising tuba undergraduates at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.
“ If you had told fifth-grade me that I was going to be looking to make a living doing this, I would have laughed in your face because at that point it was so ridiculous,” Vecchio said.
For Vecchio, tuba became more serious in his freshman and sophomore years, which led him to learn more about the process of learning and playing professionally. While Vecchio became increasingly committed to his instrument in recent years, professional music remains incredibly selective: in a professional symphony orchestra, there are anywhere from 80 to 100 players, one of them being a tubist.
“ The expectation at [the] University of Miami, for example, is that beyond anything else that you may have going on that day, that you’re practicing for a minimum of five hours a day,” Vecchio said. “And so it’s just a completely different mindset. It’s a completely different world that you have to learn how to adjust to.”
Vecchio has obtained several accomplishments, including being the only tuba player in the Greater Twin Cities Youth Orchestra’s highest orchestra: Symphony. However, Vecchio emphasized that commitment is the ultimate cause of his success.
“ If you’re gonna do music, you have to do it,” Vecchio said. “You know, music isn’t one of those things where you can half–ss it and expect to see results. If you aren’t putting in more work than the next guy, then you’re done before you even started.”
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on May 19, 2026
