Tubists’s Delight
Instrumentation: tuba, loop pedal, and track
Year Composed: 2026
Tubist’s Delight was commissioned by Michael Salzman for his 2026 DMA recital at Stony Brook University. The only guideline I received was to create a piece inspired by hip hop—a genre I hadn’t explored deeply before. That prompt pushed me into new creative territory and ultimately opened up a powerful way to reimagine the tuba’s role in contemporary music.
The title pays homage to Rapper’s Delight by The Sugarhill Gang, one of the earliest rap songs to achieve mainstream recognition. Like its namesake, Tubist’s Delight celebrates innovation and groove. Structurally, the piece mirrors the flow of many modern hip hop tracks: alternating lyrical choruses with rhythmically intricate and percussive verses. The choruses draw from R&B and soul influences, while the verses mimic the cadence and inflections of spoken rap, translated into virtuosic tuba lines.
Rather than relying on traditional sampling techniques, the performer becomes the sampler. A loop pedal is used to build live layers—beats, harmonies, textures—while a pre-recorded track anchors the rhythmic foundation. The result is part solo, part ensemble, part jam session. This work challenges the performer to step outside the typical tuba repertoire and embrace a fresh, genre-defying approach to sound. It’s a chance to explore new expressive possibilities, break some rules, and shred like only a tubist can!
