10 posts and only 3 vitriolic or negative so far but....... it'll gather pace!! Well done Esscee, no malice, jealousy or put downs, just a thumbs up. Could this be the way forward? No, I didn't think so.
Perhaps we need a new thread to harness the combined creative forces of contributors to tMP. Questions to be answered -
- What message should the ideal article, features or documentary on brass bands convey?
- What should the musical content be (if on radio, TV or other media)?
- What should the featured band wear for performances (and walking out!!!)?
- What would make it most attractive to non banders?
- What compromises should be made (against the ideal) to make it commercially viable for the producer or to stimulate attention from the public?
Your time starts now......
You appear to have forgotten one
- What agenda do you wish to promulgate (or axe to grind, if you prefer)
You have made no particular comment on the original post, other than to try to stir up some sort of controversy. Are you forgetting that this is a discussion forum and people will have differing views about any topic you care to mention?
Before the initial posting about the Dinnington project was made on tMP some time ago, I had never heard of them. Clearly, other tMP members know the band better, and some, apparently, wish they didn't. More information on that point might be interesting for those who enjoy watching dirty linen being washed in public, but I'm not much bothered.
What has happened at Dinnington isn't particulary revolutionary. Go back to the '60s and you'll see The Monkees started out as a 'cobbled together' group and had some measure of success, before fading into obscurity.
This is all very reality TV, a la Big Brother, X-Factor etc and good luck to Dinnington if it puts them on a solid footing for their future. I said 'their future' very deliberately, because I can't see it having much effect on brass bands as a whole.
But then, perhaps I am just too parochial in my outlook. I don't have a mission to make brass bands headline news week after week. For me, banding is a fun, sociable hobby and I thoroughly enjoy making other people happy when they come to listen to our music. My efforts are aimed at trying to ensure that my band has sufficient players and funds to continue year after year.
I hope, when all the hype has died down and the production team that has created it in it's present format moves on to it's next project, that Dinnington is left with something it can call a band. Unless the management committee put right whatever it was that caused it's virtual demise in the first place, I think perhaps not. Time will tell.
