With one coin to make a wish at the piazza fountain, a peasant girl encounters two competing street performers who'd prefer the coin to find its way into their tip jars. The little girl, Tippy, is caught in the middle as a musical duel ensues between the one-man bands.
For Bass, it's just another day of playing the same old tired tune until Treble, a flashy, sophisticated newcomer, ups the tempo with his string accompaniment and charm. Bass must reach into his musical arsenal to rival Treble and impress the young girl who just wanted to make a wish.
At Pixar, stories are usually first developed through scriptwriting and storyboarding, but music played such an integral part in "One Man Band" that the story and score had to be developed simultaneously. The musical sparring that's so entertaining in the final film is the direct result of the collaboration between the directors and the composer.