Aruba Tuba: Score
By Timothy Loest
Level:.5
Item: 98-DB1290S
$5.00
Pickup currently not available
Description
Show off your tuba or baritone section with this upbeat, tropical-flavored composition. Easy rhythms, a tuneful melody, and Latin percussion make this an ideal choice for your next concert. If desired, the tuba's close cousin, the baritone, can play along as alternate parts are included. Great fun and sure to be a hit with your audience!
Aruba Tuba: Score isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
1
Audio File
--:--
0:00
0:00
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Series:
FJH Starter Series
Publisher:
The FJH Music Company, Inc.
SKU:
98-DB1290S
More about this title
About the Composer: Timothy Loest
Timothy Loest has built a career on writing accessible, engaging music for young musicians while maintaining the highest pedagogical standards. His works have reached audiences at major venues, including a 2017 performance of Cloud Gate (Reflections of a City) at Chicago's Millennium Park before over 5,000 spectators. That same year, he received the Illinois Grade School Music Association's Cloyd Myers Memorial Award for Excellence in Music Education, recognition of his lasting impact on instrumental music education.
With publishing relationships spanning three decades and work appearing on network television shows including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Good Morning America, Loest balances composition with deep classroom experience. He co-authored several foundational band method resources, including Measures of Success, Warm-ups and Beyond, and Rhythms and Beyond. In 2022, he founded Fanfare Music Press to publish compositions and arrangements at the highest level. Loest holds degrees from Illinois State University and Northwestern University, maintains ASCAP membership, and continues to accept commissions for band.
Why we love this
Loest understands what makes a feature piece work: clear melodic interest, rhythmic accessibility that doesn't sacrifice musicality, and genuine fun without corniness. The pairing of tuba and baritone, along with the Latin percussion foundation, gives your low brass section a real spotlight moment while keeping rehearsal time manageable at this grade level.
What to expect
Upbeat and sun-soaked, with the kind of straightforward charm that comes from strong melodies and rhythmic clarity. The Latin percussion textures and tropical flavor create energy without complexity, making the piece feel immediate and fun both to play and to hear.
Who it's for
Conductors building a concert around bright, accessible repertoire that keeps young musicians engaged and audiences smiling. Band directors seeking a featured showcase for tuba and baritone sections that doesn't demand advanced technical facility or complex rhythmic reading.
How to get the most out of it
- Balance the tuba melody against the percussion accompaniment so the main voice projects without the drums overwhelming it; the tropical feel depends on the percussion staying rhythmically crisp but subordinate.
- Check that baritones and tubas lock their tuning together during the main theme; the doubled parts require blend and intonation control to sound unified rather than muddy.
- Let the easy rhythms breathe with natural phrasing rather than mechanical precision; this piece invites a relaxed, groove-oriented approach that rewards subtle dynamic shaping.
How to use it
Place this early in the concert as an energizer following a slower or more serious opening piece, or program it as a palate cleanser between heavier works. Its novelty appeal and accessible difficulty level make it perfect for holiday concerts, spring pops programs, or any concert where you want to showcase your low brass while maintaining momentum.
Skills your students will build
- Sustained melodic phrasing in the context of a feature part
- Blending and intonation coordination between tuba and baritone sections
- Rhythmic interpretation with a Latin percussion foundation
- Dynamic control and balance in an ensemble feature arrangement