Do you pay to play??

L

Lotta

Member
Does your band have weekly/annual subscriptions? As a fairly new band, we were wondering how other bands stay afloat? By band contributions or outside donations?

We had a bit of debate about it.... the majority of the argument was if you were a member of another association.... golf, cricket, etc, you would have to pay to become a member so why not in the brass band world?

Any thoughts....... :)
 
michellegarbutt

michellegarbutt

Supporting Member
We pay £2 per month which is less than the price of a pint in most places. It's not much to pay when you get instrument and uniform free of charge
 
backrowbloke

backrowbloke

Member
In my band they do pay a token subscription, although at the moment it is only £26pa :D

I personally think that the band should raise this...as Laura doll said, I have to pay golf club membership, so why should band be different.

Bands I have played with in the past, in all sections, have asked permenant members to pay a nominal amount each year, although in all cases the monies raised by this go nowhere near covering the band running costs.

There are a couple of other threads in here around subs / sponsorship / fund raising
 
Lauradoll

Lauradoll

Active Member
backrowbloke said:
In my band they do pay a token subscription, although at the moment it is only £26pa :D

I personally think that the band should raise this...as Laura doll said, I have to pay golf club membership, so why should band be different.

Bands I have played with in the past, in all sections, have asked permenant members to pay a nominal amount each year, although in all cases the monies raised by this go nowhere near covering the band running costs.

There are a couple of other threads in here around subs / sponsorship / fund raising
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Eh?? Me?? Can't remember saying that. Who are you?? Confused :?
 
cornetchap

cornetchap

Member
Watford Band asks for subs, in fact we've just put it up from £5 per month to £10 per month in view of losing our sponsorship. Fortunately all the band members have been right behind the committee in this decision.

Unless you know that you are going to have a generous sponsor for a very long time I would think it prudent to ask for subs. If you ever lose sponsorship and find yourself requiring grants you'll need to demonstrate ways in which you can raise funds for yourselves.

Cheers, Greg.
 
T

twigglet

Member
At wem we pay £1 every week (or else our charming treasurer Gwen gets you!) and also an annual subscription of £5

I think this is perfectly reasonable as you get an instrument, uniform, coaches provided for concerts etc. I think it is a different case if the band have outside sponsorship, but if they support themselves then it is fair enough to ask for subs..
 
K

Kari Anson

Member
twigglet said:
At wem we pay £1 every week (or else our charming treasurer Gwen gets you!) and also an annual subscription of £5

I think this is perfectly reasonable as you get an instrument, uniform, coaches provided for concerts etc. I think it is a different case if the band have outside sponsorship, but if they support themselves then it is fair enough to ask for subs..
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If you don't pay your annual subscription, which is due each October you are not allowed to vote at the AGM. I find there's always a rush of annual subscriptions paid in September. :lol:
Our juniors also pay and for that they receive tuition.
 
yr_epa

yr_epa

Member
Members of the Senior Band in Beaumaris don't pay any subscriptions. But I'm sure the other bands (B band, intermediates and junior) have to pay some kind of yearly subscription.
 
jambo

jambo

Member
I'm in the fortunate position of being in a sponsored band so dont have to pay however, when I was in one of our local rival top section bands we paid £10 to help keep the band afloat.

Whatever works I suppose.
 
dashman

dashman

New Member
I think that without corporate sponsorship, a band has to ask for subs to take the emphasis off the money side of things. Six quid per month for us plus coffee fund, brings in almost 2 grand per year. And I for one, would rather pay that than **have** to be out every Saturday afternoon in the 4-5 weeks running up to Christmas, freezing my whatsits off...

Darren
 
PeterBale

PeterBale

Moderator
Staff member
Our band fund for the current year is £35 (frozen for the last three years, I think), but of course we are responsible for paying for our own uniforms.

(The band does own a number of spare festival tunics - sometimes purchased from members who have moved on, and there was some assistance when we recently changed our blue uniforms to help out those with little or no income.)
 
Mike Saville

Mike Saville

Member
At Chichester we pay £8-9 per month (about £1 per rehearsal I think). This used to be to cover the costs of the rehearsal room but, as we get our current one for free, this now goes towards running the band and saving for our own bandroom.
 
K

Kari Anson

Member
cornetgirl said:
At tHB we pay £5 for the year, plus coffee fund - pretty reasonable I reckon!

Rach x
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I want to know what these coffee funds are all about! :?:
I'd love to be aboe to have a coffee half way through band regearsal - especially on those winter nights.
 
ScrapingtheBottom

ScrapingtheBottom

Active Member
Kari Anson said:
I want to know what these coffee funds are all about! :?:
I'd love to be aboe to have a coffee half way through band regearsal - especially on those winter nights.
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Ah the joys of the coffee bar... It's great at half time you just walk upto the coffee bar and deposit your shrapnel and you a present with wake up juice and FIG ROLLS!!!
 
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