Tubists Universal Brotherhood Association (TUBA) is an international organization comprised of performers, teachers, students, and other interested parties who desire to promote the literature, pedagogy, and performance of the euphonium and tuba. While TUBA traces its spiritual beginnings to informal social gatherings of tuba players in New York City, the organization was started by Robert Ryker and W. Donald Trigg in Montreal, Canada, in 1968.

Some of the specific objectives and purposes of TUBA include:

a. To expand performance and employment opportunities.
b. To enhance the image and role of our instruments and performers.
c. To explore pedagogical approaches through new teaching resources.
d. To promote activity in new instrument design.
e. To generate new compositions for the tuba and euphonium.
f. To explore new directions in technique.
g. To establish and maintain appropriate libraries of recorded and printed materials.
h. To encourage tuba-euphonium workshops and conferences.
i. To publish a journal.

     These objectives and purposes have remained essentially the same since the beginning of the association to the present. There are approximately 2500 members representing nearly 50 countries throughout the world. Additionally, more than 160 libraries and institutions subscribe to the TUBA Journal, the official publication of the Tubists Universal Brotherhood Association. The TUBA Press was created to publish works for the euphonium and tuba of importance to the organization. The association has commissioned 27 compositions for tuba and euphonium since 1974. Since the first International TUBA Symposium-Workshop in Bloomington, Indiana in 1973 there have been eleven national or international meetings across the world.

     TUBA has elected officers, an Executive Committee, a Board of Directors, an Honorary Advisory Board, and a Journal staff with area coordinators. TUBA continues to grow and expand its services to its members and the musical community.

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