Tuba may seem like an odd instrument around which to center your life and work, but ask the musicians of nearly any orchestra, and you’ll find that those brassy low note specialists are usually among the most well-liked members of the band. So it shouldn’t be a big surprise that all-tuba Christmas concerts are an increasingly popular phenomenon. “For many, the annual concerts–held in Chicago and 200 other cities worldwide–are a chance to break away from the tubist’s traditional role as steady bass accompanist and whale away on the melodies, albeit a few octaves lower than they’re normally played.”