BEMIDJI — One man’s tuba has come a long way.
The InnerTuba Mississippi River Tour’s goal was 3000 miles in 150 days. InnerTuba founder Jon Hodkin had a dream and his tricycle, and now he’s reached his goals.
“The whole of Bemidji is pulling out the stops,it’s unbelievable, the teaching community, the music community, the warm showers community.”Jon Hodkin
Hodkin explained on the KAXE Morning Show that it’s all about the 4 T’s. "My tuba, my tricycle and my trailer and travel.”
Beginning in April, Hodkin has been riding his tricycle from the Mississippi Delta to the Headwaters of the Mississippi River, meeting people and playing music.
“The absolute highlight so far has been a performance with the Big River Brass Band who I met in 2019 and there in the Quad Cities. And I was the featured soloist with a couple of pieces in that in that concert and it was well attended and it was absolutely wonderful.”
Hodkin has been joined periodically by Nick White. He discovered Hodkin online, and felt like his own passions coincided nicely.
“I'm a musician. I'm a retired music educator and I discovered this gentleman riding the same vehicle that I ride all the time every day towing his trailer. So I reached out and I said, OK, I'm fascinated. What can I do to help?”
White and Hodkin will be performing at Bemidji State University Friday Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. with the Bemidji Community Band, BSU Symphonic Band and BSU Wind Ensemble. White will conduct Franner Otter’s piece, “Tuba Odyssey – the Journey of Inner Tuba.”
“The whole of Bemidji is pulling out the stops,” said Hodkin, “it’s unbelievable, the teaching community, the music community, the warm showers community.”
“Tuba Odyssey” is a free performance at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15 at BSU’s Bangsberg Auditorium.
