| General Band Info |
| The Big Bottom Band consists of Todd Chuba, Sam Pilafian, and Patrick Sheridan - who seem to naturally combine their styles to create highly customized groove. As these tuba collosuses pound the low lines, the sound bottom couldn‘t be more swingin‘. Hence, the Big Bottom.. |
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| Sam Pilafian |
| Sam Pilafian is perhaps best known as a founding member of the internationally renowned Empire Brass Quintet. He has also recorded and performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke s, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Lionel Hampton, and Pink Floyd. As a solo jazz artist, Sam has recorded fifteen CDs. He is also a member of the large brass ensemble Summit Brass. Solo recital and concerto performances during recent seasons have taken him to Canada, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Italy, Austria, Germany and England. As an arranger, composer and recording producer, Sam has recently produced and written for Joseph Alessi (New York Philharmonic), the Boston Brass, the Brass Band of Battle Creek, the Academy (of Drum Corp International), and the United States Air Force Band. Sam is the coauthor of the best selling pedagogy texts "Breathing Gym" and "Brass Gym"
In 1967, Sam won the concerto competition at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan, becoming only the second tubist in over fifty years to do so. He subsequently won fellowships at Dartmouth College and the Tanglewood Music Center. While at Tanglewood he was invited by Leonard Bernstein to perform on-stage in the world premiere of Bernstein s MASS, which opened the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He is currently Professor of Music at Arizona State University, having previously served for twenty years on the faculties of Boston University and their summer Tanglewood Institute. Sam has won the Walter Naumberg Chamber Music Award, the Harvard Music Association Prize, the University of Miami s Distinguished Alumni Award, the Brevard Music Center Distinguished Alumni Award, the Robert Trotter Annual Visiting Professorship at the University of Oregon and the annual Outstanding Teacher Award for the College of Fine Arts, Arizona State University. As a past president and chairman of the board of the International Tuba Euphonium Association, Sam now serves on its board of directors. |
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| Pat Sheridan |
| Patrick Sheridan has been enthusiastically received as a solo artist around the world. He made his solo debut playing an arrangement of The Blue Bells of Scotland accompanied by his mom, Diana, when he was just 8 years old, only months after he had started playing his chosen instrument, the tuba! He made his solo orchestral debut at the age of 15 playing a Mozart Horn Concerto on the tuba. Since then, Patrick has rocketed to success as a solo performer in venues ranging from the White House to an NBA half-time show to the Hollywood Bowl.
As a former member of "The President s Own" United States Marine Band, he thrilled audiences across the United States with his amazing virtuosity and musicianship as one of the band s primary soloists. He is equally at home with standard classical repertoire and as an entertainer in the "pops" realm. In addition to his musical studies with legendary tuba artists Arnold Jacobs, Sam Pilafian, Daniel Perantoni, Harvey Phillips and Jim Self, Mr. Sheridan holds a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in finance and marketing from the University of Michigan.
Mr. Sheridan s touring schedule regularly takes him throughout the United States as well as Europe and Japan. This year his touring schedule will take him to 20 countries around the globe and 35 states across America and includes such ensembles as the Grand Rapids Symphony, The Estonian National Orchestra, The San Antonio Symphony, The Williams Fairey Band and the United States Army Band. Patrick is currently the Visiting Professor of Tuba at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland and the Rotterdam Conservatory in the Netherlands. Patrick was most recently featured on NBC s Today Show and is regularly featured on BBC Radio and PBS and NPR broadcasts including the program, "All Things Considered."
Besides his busy concert schedule, Mr. Sheridan has co-authored the popular pedagogy book, The Breathing Gym, with Sam Pilafian. |
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| Todd Chuba |
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