Tartan Tuba Band at CMU Performs "Sergeant Pepper"

When Lance LaDuke began brainstorming how his Tartan Tuba Band could help celebrate Carnegie Mellon University’s 50th anniversary at Spring Carnival, he knew it had to be something fun and unexpected. And what could be more unexpected than a tuba and euphonium ensemble covering The Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” an iconic album that CMU students would have been listening to 50 years ago?

The Tartan Tuba Band is composed of 12 students, six of whom have contributed arrangements from the “Sgt. Pepper’s” album for the Spring Carnival performance. First-year euphonium master’s degree student and Tartan Tuba Band member Abigail Lannan said the arrangement process has been simpler than she expected it to be. Lannan said the students started by considering the essential elements of each song and then arranging music for the instruments in the band.

“We work together and, eventually, it comes out sounding the best that it can. It has been a lot of fun,” Lannan said.

Singers, guitarists, a bagpiper and other instrumentalists will join the Tartan Tuba Band to perform the concert. Sophia Masterson, a sophomore voice major, is looking forward to collaborating with an instrumental group with which she does not usually have the opportunity to perform. Masterson said she is hopeful the audience will sing-a-long, tap their feet and appreciate how unique the song covers will be.

“I’ve never sung with a bunch of tubas, so this experience should be really cool,” Masterson said.