Dr. Paul Carlson (he/him/his) has charmed audiences around the globe as a soloist and as tubist in the Dallas Brass. He has studied with Dan Perantoni, Richard White, Mark Moore, and Joseph Goble. Paul has performed with the New Mexico Brass Quintet, the Walt Disney Collegiate All-Star Band, and the Harvey Phillips Tuba Company, as well as the Grand Rapids, Vancouver, Southwest Michigan, West Michigan, New Mexico, Louisville, South Bend, and Bloomington Camerata Symphonies. His first solo album, Mountain Song, was released on Potenza records. He has also recorded on the Summit and Naxos labels, as well as Alfred Music Publishing.

Paul is currently touring the country performing clinics and concerts with the Dallas Brass in addition to serving as Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Grand Valley State University. He is also a Buffet Crampon USA Artist performing on B&S, Meinl Weston, and Besson tubas.

Kevin Wass, Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Texas Tech University, holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan, the Bachelor of Science degree (Summa cum laude) in Music Education from Dana College, and the Master of Music degree and Performer's Certificate from Indiana University. He has performed with a wide range of ensembles, including the Disneyland All-American College Band, the Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra, the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra, the Omaha, Lincoln, and Honolulu Symphony Orchestras, Santa Fe Pro Musica and various brass chamber groups. Solo appearances have included competitions in the United States, Canada, and the Czech Republic, and recitals and concerto appearances at colleges, universities, and regional and international tuba-euphonium conferences. His teaching background is equally varied, with experience as a band and orchestra director at the elementary and high school levels as well as private studio and classroom teaching at the college level. His principal studies have been with Fritz Kaenzig, Daniel Perantoni, Harvey Phillips, and Craig Fuller.

Dr. Wass is a long-time member of ITEA/TUBA, in which his activities have included hosting a regional conference (2005), serving as founding chair of the Harvey G. Phillips Awards for Excellence in Composition (2005-2011), serving on the Board of Directors as Conferences Coordinator (2009-2011), and serving as an Associate Editor of the ITEA Journal writing the quarterly “Dear Dr. TubaEuph” column (2012-2015). He was President of ITEA from 2017 to 2019.

It Gets Better (2022) | Gabe Newvine (b. 2000)
Composed for the More Tales from the Gay Tuba Songbook project, I explore how religion intersects with queerness. As a queer person from the middle of Pennsylvania, I frequently wrestle with my own conceptualization of religion. So, I wanted to explore the positive and caring side of religion while also exploring the isolating and hateful side of it. This piece accomplishes this by subverting common hymn tunes to represent the unnerving and uncomfortable feelings that queer people experience.

Prisma (2021) | Aliyah Danielle (b. 1997)
The title of the piece is a play on the word “prism,” which is an optical component that disperses light, forming rainbows. This piece represents the journey of a person who has discovered something new about themselves and their journey to find comfort in an unfamiliar identity. The first section represents apprehension as they are unsure of how to proceed in uncharted territory. The tumultuous middle section represents their internal struggle followed by an optimistic ending. The piece fuses the influences of neo-classical, R&B, and pop styles.

It’s A Gift (2022) | Leah Mullen (b. 2000)
“It’s A Gift,” was written for Dr. Dan Burdick’s ongoing project, The Gay Tuba Songbook. As a bisexual woman, I find that being able to feel romantic attraction to anyone regardless of gender to be a right, rather than a hinderance or something to be ashamed of. While I have a positive outlook on queerness, it comes without saying that not everyone shares the same opinion – even people within the LGBTQ community. My hope is that this piece expresses the beauty, confusion, and overall complexity of queerness in society, and within oneself.

All Hail The Queen (2022) | Nathan Reid (b. 2001)
“All Hail the Queen” serves as a lively tribute to the life of LGBTQ icon Freddie Mercury. Embracing the style of Queen, this piece delivers spirited melodies, familiar progressions, and an upbeat nature that makes the music come to life.