Will the Sec
27.07.2005, 00:27
Well, hullo there.
My given name is William Elsom, and I was born in East Ham in London several years before my twin brother/clone, LBB.
I started playing brass when I was seven, but due to getting severe headaches when playing the tenor horn, I was forced to give up.
At 13, I felt I was missing out on the fun my school mates were having at Newham Academy of Music, I asked my mother to ask if I could start playing again. Having gotten some childhood illnesses out of the way, I found playing a lot easier, and soon became adept at playing.
I will always owe a debt of gratitude to Paul Weston, who said I should get a second chance. :tup
My musical education included: Wind band, brass band, brass quintet, jazz band, orchestra, theory. The Senior Wind Orchestra at NAM was a riot under Andy Murray's tutelage, but I developed a loathing for clarinets screeching in unison that persists to this day. So, apart from a short stint in a wind band when I was wooing my ex, I have not played in a wind band for anything other than dep jobs since I was 18!
I've only been with 4 adult Brass Bands all my life, namely Newham, Harlow, Waltham Forest (now East London) and Fulham. I have played everything from Solo Horn to Bass with some success, but my one spell on cornet was aborted because the bass line was weak heading into the 2001 areas. (And because I was rubbish:rolleyes: ) My chosen instrument will always be the trombone, but because I can play pp and do not try to straighten the instrument when it's mf or louder, conductors deem to be too subtle fro trombone and make me play bass. :(
I had an "interesting" time at Newham, and left after "agreements" were not adhered to. (I was far and away the best player Bass player at the time, but despite an agreement, I was told I was to continue on Bb Bass after playing it "just until the contest". I've made and kept loads of friends from my two other previous bands, though.
I discovered the internet in 1999, and found Sibelius shortly afterwards. After a trial period, I invested my annual bonus in a copy, and discovered that a musical idea could be put into print in hours, rather than years. This reawakened the composing and arranging bug I had had in my teens.
Last year, Fulham's beloved chair, and my guardian angel/conscience, Kate, said that DP had put an advert for the band on tMP. So, I had a look at the website. I signed up, and forgot about it for a few weeks. Then the areas came around, and DP said there was some interesting debate around Partita, so I tried to log on - but couldn't remember my user name. (Something to do with underscores!) I registered again, and I've been on here ever since.
tMP has had a profound effect on me, in that I have been given exposure to many publishers, all of whom are willing to chat, give advice, have a laugh (composing by committee for example...) and publish things.
(My first original work is as yet unpublished, but was well received in Houston when the Houston Band gave it its world premiere. I still live in hope as it's my favourite piece of mine)
To date, I've written pieces for fellow tMPers Keppler and Flugel Gal (The Groove), Satchmo Shaz (The Long Eaton), and dedicated one to WoodenFlugel (The Ballad of the Wooden Flugel - duh!). Because I like 'em, I've not charged them. (Not sure Satchmo quite believes that yet - her commission for a march for Long Eaton's Centenary could have been in the region of £1000 - £1500!) The Groove and Wooden Flugel are both scheduled for publication - so keep your eyes peeled. Proceeds from Wooden Flugel will be donated to John to help with tMP running costs.
I have done a fair amount of stick wagging and when the time is right, I will take on a band full time.
Outside the banding world, my other obsession is cricket.
I have been with the same club since 1984, and am currently in the form of my life.
My highest score is 130, briefly the club record, scored in 105 minutes off 91 balls, with 13x4 and 8x6.
I improved my best bowling figures on 6th August 2005, when my figures of 17-3-59-8 from last year were improved to 14.4-5-19-9. The opposition were rubbish, but you “have to put the ball in the right place”. This is also a club and league record.
One of the joys of playing cricket is that another brother, Owen plays in the same team, though not as often as he would like to.
I love reading, which is used as a panacea to the horrors of commuting, and my favourites are Bernard Cornwell and Terry Pratchett. I also like the Harry Potter books, but not to the extent of buying the book at midnight. I’m a big fan of Quantum Leap, and have written a full length novel based on the series, plus some stories on a fan fiction web site.
I am an uncle once over, and seeing the safe childhood and adolescence of my nephew Matthew is of paramount importance to me.
My current mid life crisis dictates that everything will change next year. I am aiming to work overseas, as at the age of *cough splutter*, single and with only a small mortgage, it seems the right thing to do. Of course, if I were to meet Miss Right in the meantime, things might be viewed differently…
That's me...
My given name is William Elsom, and I was born in East Ham in London several years before my twin brother/clone, LBB.
I started playing brass when I was seven, but due to getting severe headaches when playing the tenor horn, I was forced to give up.
At 13, I felt I was missing out on the fun my school mates were having at Newham Academy of Music, I asked my mother to ask if I could start playing again. Having gotten some childhood illnesses out of the way, I found playing a lot easier, and soon became adept at playing.
I will always owe a debt of gratitude to Paul Weston, who said I should get a second chance. :tup
My musical education included: Wind band, brass band, brass quintet, jazz band, orchestra, theory. The Senior Wind Orchestra at NAM was a riot under Andy Murray's tutelage, but I developed a loathing for clarinets screeching in unison that persists to this day. So, apart from a short stint in a wind band when I was wooing my ex, I have not played in a wind band for anything other than dep jobs since I was 18!
I've only been with 4 adult Brass Bands all my life, namely Newham, Harlow, Waltham Forest (now East London) and Fulham. I have played everything from Solo Horn to Bass with some success, but my one spell on cornet was aborted because the bass line was weak heading into the 2001 areas. (And because I was rubbish:rolleyes: ) My chosen instrument will always be the trombone, but because I can play pp and do not try to straighten the instrument when it's mf or louder, conductors deem to be too subtle fro trombone and make me play bass. :(
I had an "interesting" time at Newham, and left after "agreements" were not adhered to. (I was far and away the best player Bass player at the time, but despite an agreement, I was told I was to continue on Bb Bass after playing it "just until the contest". I've made and kept loads of friends from my two other previous bands, though.
I discovered the internet in 1999, and found Sibelius shortly afterwards. After a trial period, I invested my annual bonus in a copy, and discovered that a musical idea could be put into print in hours, rather than years. This reawakened the composing and arranging bug I had had in my teens.
Last year, Fulham's beloved chair, and my guardian angel/conscience, Kate, said that DP had put an advert for the band on tMP. So, I had a look at the website. I signed up, and forgot about it for a few weeks. Then the areas came around, and DP said there was some interesting debate around Partita, so I tried to log on - but couldn't remember my user name. (Something to do with underscores!) I registered again, and I've been on here ever since.
tMP has had a profound effect on me, in that I have been given exposure to many publishers, all of whom are willing to chat, give advice, have a laugh (composing by committee for example...) and publish things.
(My first original work is as yet unpublished, but was well received in Houston when the Houston Band gave it its world premiere. I still live in hope as it's my favourite piece of mine)
To date, I've written pieces for fellow tMPers Keppler and Flugel Gal (The Groove), Satchmo Shaz (The Long Eaton), and dedicated one to WoodenFlugel (The Ballad of the Wooden Flugel - duh!). Because I like 'em, I've not charged them. (Not sure Satchmo quite believes that yet - her commission for a march for Long Eaton's Centenary could have been in the region of £1000 - £1500!) The Groove and Wooden Flugel are both scheduled for publication - so keep your eyes peeled. Proceeds from Wooden Flugel will be donated to John to help with tMP running costs.
I have done a fair amount of stick wagging and when the time is right, I will take on a band full time.
Outside the banding world, my other obsession is cricket.
I have been with the same club since 1984, and am currently in the form of my life.
My highest score is 130, briefly the club record, scored in 105 minutes off 91 balls, with 13x4 and 8x6.
I improved my best bowling figures on 6th August 2005, when my figures of 17-3-59-8 from last year were improved to 14.4-5-19-9. The opposition were rubbish, but you “have to put the ball in the right place”. This is also a club and league record.
One of the joys of playing cricket is that another brother, Owen plays in the same team, though not as often as he would like to.
I love reading, which is used as a panacea to the horrors of commuting, and my favourites are Bernard Cornwell and Terry Pratchett. I also like the Harry Potter books, but not to the extent of buying the book at midnight. I’m a big fan of Quantum Leap, and have written a full length novel based on the series, plus some stories on a fan fiction web site.
I am an uncle once over, and seeing the safe childhood and adolescence of my nephew Matthew is of paramount importance to me.
My current mid life crisis dictates that everything will change next year. I am aiming to work overseas, as at the age of *cough splutter*, single and with only a small mortgage, it seems the right thing to do. Of course, if I were to meet Miss Right in the meantime, things might be viewed differently…
That's me...