Onwards and Upwards - Tuba and Piano

In early 2017, Dr. Chris Combest approached me about writing a new piece for tuba and piano to be premiered at the 2018 U.S. Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Workshop, where Chris had been invited to perform as a guest soloist. As Chris and I discussed the different directions this new piece could take, one idea swiftly broke away from the pack and excited both of us very much.

"Onwards and upwards" is a favorite saying of Dr. Jerry Young, longtime professor of music at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he taught tuba and euphonium, among other things, from 1983 until 2016. In addition to being a friend and mentor to generations of low brass players, Jerry has enjoyed a multifaceted career as a soloist, clinician, lecturer, adjudicator, and additionally served as President of the International Tuba Euphonium Association (ITEA) and as Editor in Chief of the ITEA Journal. Chris expressed a desire to dedicate a new piece to Jerry, one that embodied the energy and optimism of this revered pedagogue and his "onwards and upwards" mantra. Over the course of his remarkable career, Jerry has been a profound influence on so many tuba players, and it is my absolute privilege to dedicate this new work to Dr. Jerry Young. Onwards and upwards!

- Frank Gulino