Getting Into Championship Section Bands?

[Majoresteve]

I think the time has come! I think i am ready to play with a champ section band, and this is something i really want to do.

So how do you go about getting in? do you have to audition?

 

[dyl]

You might find your answer on a thread we had on here quite recently: http://www.themouthpiece.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=5010

 

[Majoresteve]

You might find your answer on a thread we had on here quite recently: http://www.themouthpiece.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=5010

Cheers dly!
Many thanks to all the people who have sent me pm's!

 

[AlanSian]

In my experience the best way to get into top section banding is to practise hard and stop writing rubbish on forums. Imagine the time wasted when one could be perfecting their Arban lip flexibility exercises like I am doing at this very moment!! Tooters Temperance Band rule!!!! I thank you

 

[Accidental]

Wow! You can write rubbish, practice and insult people with your very first post, all at the same time - I'm impressed! :lol:

 

[Australian Euphonium]

In my experience the best way to get into top section banding is to practise hard and stop writing rubbish on forums. Imagine the time wasted when one could be perfecting their Arban lip flexibility exercises like I am doing at this very moment!! Tooters Temperance Band rule!!!! I thank you

How lame - get off your high horse champ it was an innocent question.

 

[Blagger]

I've played for a few Top Section bands. My advice is to get to know the person who sorts out dep. players......... that way u can get yourself known around a few bands.
I auditioned for Solo Euph at one of my bands, but 2nd Euph( or whatever) wouldn't in my opinion have to audition..........just go down for a toot

 

[Blagger]

BTW - I think that guy was joking...... [/quote]

 

[AlanSian]

In my experience the best way to get into top section banding is to practise hard and stop writing rubbish on forums. Imagine the time wasted when one could be perfecting their Arban lip flexibility exercises like I am doing at this very moment!! Tooters Temperance Band rule!!!! I thank you

How lame - get off your high horse champ it was an innocent question.

Take it that you disagree then that practise is the only way to get into a good band and that time spent writing (drivel) on here could be used for practise? I haven't seen many ACTUAL championship banders replying to this topic either. But apologies if my last post offended you, how funny that often seems to happen on this forum when someone actually says something that is true :shock:

 

[Rambo Chick]

may i say (perhaps cynically) that its not always WHAT you know, its WHO you know :roll:

 

[ScrapingtheBottom]

Take it that you disagree then that practise is the only way to get into a good band and that time spent writing (drivel) on here could be used for practise? I haven't seen many ACTUAL championship banders replying to this topic either. But apologies if my last post offended you, how funny that often seems to happen on this forum when someone actually says something that is true :shock:

Drivel? I question that asking for advice on getting into a top band on a BRASS BAND FORUM can be classed as drivel; so you are not writing something that is true, you are passing your subjective opinion on something and doing it in an offensive and surly manner.

Also, how do you know the banding history of the posters on this thread? Just cos they don't play with a champ band now, doesn't mean they haven't ever.

Talking to my MD about champ bands at the last rehearsal, he said, most players get in through depping first, it's what he did. Oh and before you say anything, AlanSian, our MD used to play for Brighouse.

 

[Keppler]

Mr/Ms AlanSian, perhaps people disagree with sleeping, eating, and working as well as relaxing on the grounds that it eats into practice time.

Might I draw a parallel between banding and the rest of existance - the way to get to the top is via the right attitude and balance. Work hard, keep your eye on the things that matter, and respect your peers.

I digress..

 

[Dave Payn]

Mr/Ms AlanSian, perhaps people disagree with sleeping, eating, and working as well as relaxing on the grounds that it eats into practice time.

Might I draw a parallel between banding and the rest of existance - the way to get to the top is via the right attitude and balance. Work hard, keep your eye on the things that matter, and respect your peers.

I digress..

Indeed, it's only in the interests of keeping this a friendly forum that I don't point out that an anagram of AlanSian is 'Is an anal' ;-) but I supsect he's another of the occasional deliberate wind-up merchants that plague this forum.

 

[Dave Euph]

I personally know quite a few people here on tMP who play with championship section bands (in Yorkshire) and I've identified a few others as well. We have even had the odd post made from so-called 'superstars' such as Dave Thornton.

tMP (as quoted by TheMusicMan) is a representation of the whole brass-banding world, not just the top bands. Therefore only a small percentage of people would actually theoretically be represented by this community.

 

[amgray]

... but 2nd Euph( or whatever) wouldn't in my opinion have to audition..........just go down for a toot

In the top championship bands all parts are auditioned - or the player is already known to be a very capable player with another top band.

In some of my former bands even 2nd Baritone and 3rd cornet auditionees had to play a solo accompanied by the band - and play it well.
At the very least I would expect you would have to audition for the MD.

I also very much doubt whether you can "just go for a toot" or Dyke et al would be inundated with "tooters"

It isn't always who you know, in 1982 I went from the 3rd section London Finals on the Saturday to auditioning at a Yorks. Championship band on the following Monday. At the time no-one knew me - and I got the position.
Practice properly, get some lessons and keep plugging away.

Good luck :lol:

 

[AlanSian]

Dave_euph read the post properly, I only said there weren't many championship banders replying to this particular topic not on the forum in general.

Dave Payn how witty and insightful of you to find an anagram of my name, which I personally find rather offensive, 'anal' not being a usual part of my everyday vocabulary (using such a word in a 'family forum' tut tut).

I think I'll retire from this forum now, it was interesting how anything contraversial said immediately attracts barrels of abuse (and of course anagrams of people's names) from many members who seem to spend 25 hours a day on here writing (mostly) ill-informed rubbish. Sorry to have offended but it's the truth.

I wonder if there will be any 'good riddance' messages as I have seen in thr past, although as a result of this last sentence there probably won't be.

 

[Dave Payn]

Dave_euph read the post properly, I only said there weren't many championship banders replying to this particular topic not on the forum in general.

Dave Payn how witty and insightful of you to find an anagram of my name, which I personally find rather offensive, 'anal' not being a usual part of my everyday vocabulary (using such a word in a 'family forum' tut tut).

I think I'll retire from this forum now, it was interesting how anything contraversial said immediately attracts barrels of abuse (and of course anagrams of people's names) from many members who seem to spend 25 hours a day on here writing (mostly) ill-informed rubbish. Sorry to have offended but it's the truth.

I wonder if there will be any 'good riddance' messages as I have seen in thr past, although as a result of this last sentence there probably won't be.

Apologies for the 'offence' (I attempted to use word 'anal' in the context referring to your posts about wasting time writing here when we could be practising, rather than use it in its 'physical' sense) but you rather brought the adverse reaction on yourself, not with your actual views but the rather haughty manner with which they were expressed. Why should we believe that you're such an expert (as you seem to imply) and assume your view that most of what we write is ill-informed rubbish should carry any weight? You'll find very few of us claiming any expertise. We just like sharing our personal opinions with each other about all things brass, whether ill-informed or not. For people to come on here and start slagging us off on what was a perfectly harmless thread, frankly, sucks.

I won't for one say goodbye with a good riddance, but merely suggest you attend the School of Hard Knocks. The most frequently attended class is the one for 'Taking what you dish out'.

 

[PeterBale]

I think I'll retire from this forum now, it was interesting how anything contraversial said immediately attracts barrels of abuse (and of course anagrams of people's names) from many members who seem to spend 25 hours a day on here writing (mostly) ill-informed rubbish. Sorry to have offended but it's the truth.

I'm sorry you've decided to "retire" from the forum after such a short time. The fact is that your initial post was perceived as provocative, whether or not that was your intention, hence the response from other posters. Our aim is that theMouthPiece will encompass as wide a range of banding as possible, and we do indeed have representatives from bands across a broad spectrum.

Yes, we know that practice is vital if anyone is to progress to the top level, but there are other factors involved, such as getting the right teacher, practice methods and playing techniques, as well as useful contacts to foster to get a foot across the threshold.

If you do decide to come back, I hope you will give us a little longer to show you what theMouthPiece is really about.

 

[Ste69]

I don't think he'll come back. :roll:

 

[Dave Payn]

To try and get back on topic, I think (again merely a personal opinion - or if you like, ill-informed rubbish) the LEVEL of banding isn't as important as getting maximum enjoyment musically and socially whatever band you play with. I love Fulham (4th section) to bits. In the last year or so, I've played back row, front row, principal cornet, sop, flugel and even 2nd horn (i.e. jack of all trades, master of none!). At the same time, Friary Guildford kindly (or stupidly, take your pick) asked me to play a bandstand job with them on sop! Having just entered the fray of top section, Friary was the first experience of championship section banding of any sort that I've had and although I was as nervous as hell, I ended up enjoying it immensely, particularly the more challenging bandstand repertoire. (Look, we'll forget those two notes I absolutely splatted in Cute, eh? ;-))

I think it's true that playing with better players raises your own standard. I'd like to think that experience with Friary has improved me a little bit (perhaps it would improve more if I practised more and spent less time on here....ahem!) but I'm still dead happy with Fulham and staying with them until I move to Scotland in October!