Briefly . . .
- Thread starter Jack E
- Start date
That description applies to most of us but I for one put that description firmly to one side, which is I believe the right place for such thoughts. It’s what we are now and what we do now that matters, so for Mello I’d say ‘inspirational’ would be a good one word description - he’s certainly helped me on.
Mello
Active Member
Thats very kind of you so say ....But for the majority , I am indeed a Hasbeen . In fact I belong to a Hasbeens Lunch Club ,with such members as Derek Garside Alan Lawton Kevin Wadsworth Gordon Clough Colin Hardy Barry Daykin etc ( our members list numbers 30 All whom have graced the RAH many times) We meet every 6 mnths for lunch and a natter down memory lane.That description applies to most of us but I for one put that description firmly to one side, which is I believe the right place for such thoughts. It’s what we are now and what we do now that matters, so for Mello I’d say ‘inspirational’ would be a good one word description - he’s certainly helped me on.
Jack E
Well-Known Member
Hasbeen? Certainly true of me - as I'm no longer up to working as a fireman on steam locos, nor of riding 17 hand Thoroughbreds cross-country at a flat out gallop. But I HAVE been there, done that, and got the tee-shirt . . . and that is vastly better than being a 'never has been', eh?
Mello
Active Member
Some of us are on the edge of being a never was been !! It may be a generation /age thing . I did my first contest in 1949 on Pride of the Forest on 2nd Hn at Spring Festival Belle Vue. In 1951 my first on Solo Hn , at Rhyl on Songs of England. I can remember now a little solo in SoE, but only one or two bars in PoF, Love to hear Pride of The Forest again,, but cant find it anywhere. As I am still teaching at the Band of the Kings Division , that makes 70yrs of continuous banding ...and probably millions of notes !! A brilliant hobby, thanks to my Dad
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Maybe the one word description of me should have been ‘cussed’ ‘cause I long ago decided not to give a second thought to what anyone, other than very close friends and very close family, thought about me. Indeed I’ve been called some pretty nasty things and had nasty things said about me but so have many other people too and such adverse judgments rarely have either merit or the slightest of justification.
Never ever consider what someone else says about you as a description of you, you are what you think you are. Hasbeen, that’s absolute *ollocks, ‘was a top rate horn player in his day’ is factual rather than derogatory and you have moved on to be a well respected teacher and no doubt you have importance to your family, friends and community.
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Jack E
Well-Known Member
Well said, 2nd Tenor!!
Anyone who is not only teaching newcomers to brass, but teaching them well, is making a major contribution, not only to the brass band movement in this country, but to the nation as a whole.
Teaching beginners is a wonderful and socially valuable thing to do. On top of that Mello has been helping Military Musicians (so very much high ability professionals) achieve more too, some ‘Hasbeen’!
I do not know the exact details but understand that years ago the great Bass Trombonist Doug Yeo had a website which allowed a lot of public questioning and comment on it. Eventually he stopped answering questions and axed such public comment because there were too many Trolling clever Dick’s out there who wanted to big themselves up at Doug’s expense. Doug still has a website, very good it is too, but only he can post and much useful information was lost. The web has many good and helpful folk on it but just as in real life there some head-cases who delight in being unpleasant to others ...... may their accounts be closed.