TubaChristmas offers even obscure tuba family members to enjoy the spotlight for a change. "This year, we had a helicon, which is like a Civil War version of a tuba," Golemo says.

It was the tuba. This year marked the 50th anniversary of TubaChristmas, a yearly gathering of enthusiasts who play the season's favorite songs exclusively on this booming brass instrument.

Los Angeles and its sounds are pivotal to “The Tuba Thieves.” All kinds of noises, welcome or not, make it into the movie: the crackling of fires, the roar of traffic and, above all, the ...

“The tuba isn’t designed to play solos, so if we all play with full power, the sound becomes overwhelming, making it hard to distinguish the individual parts,” explains Keisuke Nishibu, 29.