Otter Point Holiday: Tuba
By Robert Sheldon
Grade: 4
Item: 00-PC-0018817_TB1
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Description
Otter Point Holiday, by Robert Sheldon, begins with a playful, fast tempo with interesting harmonies and meters, students will be immediately enamored by this piece. There is a contrasting, beautiful, and expressive lyrical section that follows before the opening feel returns---bringing the piece to an exciting conclusion. This delightful work is very tuneful and filled with joy! (4:09)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Otter Point Holiday: Tuba 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:
Alfred Concert Band
Publisher:
Alfred Music
SKU:
00-PC-0018817_TB1
More about this title
About the Composer: Robert Sheldon
Robert Sheldon stands among the most frequently performed composers in contemporary wind band repertoire. His works appear regularly on state and national contest lists, and his music has been performed in some of the world's most prestigious venues, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. He co-authored Sound Innovations for Concert Band and has received major recognition from the American School Band Directors Association, Phi Beta Mu, and ASCAP.
Sheldon maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician, and commissions composer. He has worked with ensembles and music educators across the United States and internationally in Japan, Canada, Italy, Germany, Australia, and China. In 2020, VanderCook College of Music awarded him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his contributions to music education and composition.
Why we love this
Sheldon writes concert band music that feels instantly engaging without sacrificing musicality. The juxtaposition of playful, rhythmically interesting sections alongside genuine lyricism gives your band real expressive territory to explore while keeping the energy and joy unmistakable. At Grade 4, this is the kind of piece that motivates students to listen carefully and perform with character.
What to expect
Otter Point Holiday bubbles with infectious playfulness from the start, built on rhythmic vitality and unexpected harmonic turns. The sudden shift into a lyrical, reflective middle section offers a moment of real beauty before the original energy returns with even greater vitality. By the final measures, the piece feels like a celebration that has earned its brightness.
Who it's for
Band directors seeking a Grade 4 concert work that combines technical interest with genuine musicality and joy. This piece works for ensembles ready to handle mixed meters and rhythmic precision, and it rewards careful attention to contrast and phrasing.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the contrasting lyrical section with deliberate attention to phrasing and dynamic control; this passage will define the ensemble's musicianship in the piece.
- Use the opening section's rhythmic interest to establish ensemble precision early in rehearsal, then lock that rhythmic foundation before moving into the expressive middle.
- Balance the meter and harmonic shifts in the fast opening by conducting with clear visual preparation; these elements are the piece's signature, and students need to feel them.
- Support the exciting final section with a buoyant tempo that reflects the accumulating joy, rather than rushing it.
How to use it
Program this as a festival or contest selection where you want to showcase your band's precision and musicality in equal measure. It also pairs well on a concert program between a heavier classical work and a closing finale, offering variety in texture and temperament without diminishing artistic impact.
Skills your students will build
- Reading mixed meters and rhythmic clarity in fast, syncopated passages
- Shaping and balancing a contrasting lyrical section with appropriate dynamic and tonal control
- Maintaining ensemble blend while executing harmonic complexity at Grade 4 level
- Interpreting compositional intention through contrasting characters within a single work