SOMETIMES NEWS IS AS SIMPLE AS AN INTERESTING SLICE OF LIFE SOURCE} -- JASON KANDEL.

Driving south on the Golden State Freeway to Atwater Village for an assignment recently, I passed Griffith Park and spotted a man sitting near a tree playing what looked like a tuba.

Yeah, you read right, a tuba. Usually, someone playing an instrument at a park wouldn't elicit a second thought.

People play guitars, drums, violins, ukuleles, clarinets and trumpets at parks regularly. But a tuba?

I got off at the next exit and wound my way through the park looking for the guy with the horn. It was a photo op I didn't want to pass up.

I parked, identified myself and told him I'd like to take his photo for valleynews.com.

He gladly obliged, all the while playing music from a sheet on the ground in front of him -- Mahler's 7th Symphony.

His name is Tom Burge, 37. He plays the tenor horn, which looks like a tuba but doesn't sound as guttural. Burge was practicing for a concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic that was held Jan. 12-14 at Disney Hall.

The result of my run-in with Burge is this week's cover photo.

It's amazing who you run into in L.A.

He was practicing in the biggest municipal park in the country, in 80-degree winter weather no less, and before that he was out surfing in Malibu.

What a life, huh?

Have you seen anything interesting in your day-to-day travels? Post photos on valleynews.com.

Not only will your photos be shared with the world, but I'll also consider publishing them in this print edition.

Don't forget to register to the site first, and if you get stuck, give me a call for assistance anytime at [phone].