The Perfect Tuba: How Band, Grit, and Community Build a Better Life (with Sam Quinones)

from EconTalk · host EconTalk: Russ Roberts

Journalist and author Sam Quinones talks about his newest book, The Perfect Tuba: Forging Fulfillment from the Brass Horn, Band, and Hard Work with EconTalk's Russ Roberts. Known for his reporting on the opioid crisis, Quinones turns to a more uplifting subject--the world of tuba players and high school marching bands. What begins as curiosity about an unusual instrument evolves into a moving exploration of how discipline, community, and devotion to craft can restore meaning and purpose in people's lives.

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This episode was published on December 1, 2025.

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