Metrix: (wp) B-flat Tuba T.C.
By Robert Sheldon
Grade: 2.5 (Medium Easy)
Item: 00-PC-0015118_wpTBBTC
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Description
Metrix is a multi-meter, jazz inspired composition. The infectious rhythms and tuneful melodies are highlighted by the driving percussion riffs that propel the music through a variety of styles, moods, and textures. The title is a play on words combining the word "matrix" that refers to a mathematical array of numbers, and "metric" that relates to the variety of meters used in the piece. This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Metrix: (wp) B-flat Tuba T.C. comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Young Symphonic
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
252
SKU:
00-PC-0015118_wpTBBTC
More about this title
About the Composer: Robert Sheldon
Robert Sheldon ranks among today's most widely programmed composers for wind band, with performances spanning concert halls and competition circuits worldwide. His catalog reflects deep pedagogical insight; he co-authored Sound Innovations for Concert Band and maintains an active schedule as guest conductor, clinician, and commissioned composer. His accolades from the American School Band Directors Association, Phi Beta Mu, and ASCAP recognize work that balances artistic substance with ensemble accessibility.
Sheldon's conducting appearances extend across all fifty states and internationally to Japan, Canada, Italy, Germany, Australia, and China. He has led performances in Carnegie Hall, Orchestra Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, the Sydney Opera House, and the Kennedy Center. In 2020, VanderCook College of Music honored him with a doctorate in recognition of his contributions to wind band music and music education.
Why we love this
Metrix proves Sheldon's gift for crafting accessible music that never feels simplified. The multi-meter framework challenges rhythmic reading without sacrificing the visceral appeal that keeps students engaged, while the jazz-fusion vocabulary opens doors to contemporary harmonic language and funk-driven grooves that resonate with today's musicians.
What to expect
Metrix pulses with the forward momentum of modern jazz fusion, pulling ensemble and audience alike through shifts in color and rhythmic texture. The melodies stick, the rhythms compel, and the percussion riffs become the heartbeat that sustains the piece through its stylistic turns.
Who it's for
Medium-easy concert bands ready to engage with contemporary idioms and multiple meters without overwhelming young musicians. Directors seeking contest or festival material that sounds more advanced than its technical demands will find a sweet spot here.
How to get the most out of it
- Lock the rhythm section (percussion, low reeds, low brass) early in rehearsals. The driving percussion riffs anchor the entire ensemble through meter changes, so establish that foundation before layering melodic voices.
- Attend to the transitions between meters and moods. Mark them clearly in parts and conduct them with precision; even fractional hesitation breaks the infectious energy the piece demands.
- Let the jazz harmonies breathe. Sheldon's harmonic vocabulary may feel unfamiliar to traditional concert band players, so allow space in sectionals to hear how chords color the melodic material.
- Emphasize the tunefulness of the main melodic ideas. Beneath the rhythmic complexity live memorable themes; bringing them forward helps students connect emotionally to the piece's architecture.
How to use it
Slot this into a concert where you want to bridge traditional band repertoire with contemporary language, or feature it as a contest selection that showcases your ensemble's rhythmic control and harmonic sophistication. Its grade level allows flexible programming; it works equally well as a mid-concert energizer or a closer that leaves audiences with modern vitality.
Skills your students will build
- Reading and executing multiple meters (transitions between signatures) with ensemble precision
- Interpreting jazz-fusion harmonic language and dissonance in a concert band context
- Responding to complex percussion-driven rhythmic figures as anchoring material
- Balancing contemporary articulation and phrasing with tunefulness
- Collaborating across sections to maintain forward momentum through frequent textural shifts