Ways To Improve Banding

[James McFadyen]

What do you think would improve brass banding, do you think anything needs to be improved in any area of banding?

Don't be shy about it, tell the world what you think, in your opinion, what needs to be ship-shapped up in banding.

 

[flugelgal]

We should all learn to play as well as me?

But seriously, I think more committment from players and MDs, more social events, more bands in the North East of Scotland that are looking for flugel players 8) , and tMP. That should fix it.

Kirsty

 

[andyp]

I've posted this before, but in my view we need to put an end to the system of national/local grading and just have one grading system. It would need some examination of how to "score" the various contests, amd perhaps the Areas would be given a much higher weighting than other contests. Brass Band World's ranking system seems to work pretty well, where you're allocated points according to who you beat. At the moment you can have bands playing in contests a month apart in sections two away from each other (e.g 2nd local 4th national) and I don't think that can be right.

 

[lynchie]

i think we play too much shockingly boring music... that might be just me, but really, some of it is totally yawn-inducing to listen to! And I don't think we help it by just sitting there looking miserably at the bloke in the middle... tis why I'm all for multi-sensory entertainment (moving)

 

[Cornet_player]

I think that more work should be done in schools. At my old school I was the only brass band player until my sister started and we both started playing through our local band. There isnt enough encouragment for young people to start playing.

i think its too late to try and get teenagers to start learning to play as in my experience they are not as dedicated as people who started playing at a younger age.

 

[Not_Jus_An_Object]

not mentioning any names but some players are really petty and totally overexaggerate the smallest problem i.e our band came 5th out of 8 and the rep player has now quit. the band isn't doin that badly

 

[Lauradoll]

More contests.
More concerts.

MORE BEER.

 

[VenusTromster]

MORE BEER.

Have to agree!!! :guiness

 

[JessopSmythe]

Less politics. Let's just enjoy it

 

[Euph-Bari]

Less politics. Let's just enjoy it

I Agree - i let other people worry bout the politics, and i just worry bout the music :roll:

 

[The Cornet King]

MORE BEER.

Undoubtedly :guiness

Less politics. Let's just enjoy it

Absolutely...just a shame some bands get too mixed up in the politics. At the end of the day we are all doing it because we enjoy it...and the socials of course!! Less politics, more of what we enjoy doing...banding!!!

:wink:

 

[Naomi McFadyen]

Less politics. Let's just enjoy it

Quite

 

[Okiedokie of Oz]

so if all the other people worryying about the politics decide that in future your band uniform will be Back and Hot pink, you'll follow through??

You need someone who understands what the PLAYERS like and don't like about the establishment in doing the fighting for you. Otherwise.....

I have worn the back and hot pink......10 years later, it is still a controversial issue.

 

[Dave Euph]

i think we play too much shockingly boring music... that might be just me, but really, some of it is totally yawn-inducing to listen to! And I don't think we help it by just sitting there looking miserably at the bloke in the middle... tis why I'm all for multi-sensory entertainment (moving)

You only say that cause you play in Youth Brass 2000 ... they just love to be different!

But I agree, let's have some variety out there!

Oh yes, and more beer.

 

[Dan]

so if all the other people worryying about the politics decide that in future your band uniform will be Back and Hot pink,

you'll follow through??

:shock: Hope Not! :shock:

No but seriously, I think everyone is right. Ignore the politics and get on with having some fun. Even the nicest, friendliest bands can be changed in a bad way due to this.

I also agree strongly with introducing brass to more kids at a young age. There seems to certainly be a shortage of young players in our area. Don;t they give free lessons to kids at school anymore? I remember being offered cornet lessons and violin lessons!

 

[Jo Elson]

I think that more work should be done in schools. At my old school I was the only brass band player until my sister started and we both started playing through our local band. There isnt enough encouragment for young people to start playing.

i think its too late to try and get teenagers to start learning to play as in my experience they are not as dedicated as people who started playing at a younger age.

I totally agree. When i was in school my old music teacher was ace he was so enthusiastic and the band was ace we played really cool pieces and evryone came from year7-13, but now he's gone the new teacher has totally demaolished the band and doesn't encourage anyone, and any of the kids i try and help are too scared to perform in front of anyone, not because their nervous of playing but, because they're nervous of being laughed at!This was never a problem when i was in school because so many people did it.

 

[Straightmute]

so if all the other people worryying about the politics decide that in future your band uniform will be Back and Hot pink, you'll follow through??

You need someone who understands what the PLAYERS like and don't like about the establishment in doing the fighting for you. Otherwise.....

I have worn the back and hot pink......10 years later, it is still a controversial issue.

Can you translate for Poms, please Chris? And please don't tell us that you're going to 'follow through'!!!

Cheers

D

 

[drummerboy]

What would I like to see? More major works (test pieces, or ones of similar length) being used in concerts. Why can't even top bands do this more often? If you explain what the piece is about to the audience (like play them the themes, bits to listen out for etc) then they will be able to appreciate it. It can be done, believe me, I've heard it done with Prague (of all pieces!) and Leonardo and got genuine applause afterwards both times!

 

[Dawnys_flug]

I think that more work should be done in schools. At my old school I was the only brass band player until my sister started and we both started playing through our local band. There isnt enough encouragment for young people to start playing.

i think its too late to try and get teenagers to start learning to play as in my experience they are not as dedicated as people who started playing at a younger age.

At my primary school, a player from Bakewell actually started bringing in their spare instruments and giving kids lessons free of charge. This introduction at an early age is definately a good idea and does make all the difference- i can hardly remember a time when i didn't play a brass instrument!! But this is all down not to the school, but the local band.

And at my school now, we have two fantastic brass teachers and a head of music who is a brass player also. I think i've been very lucky :wink: There is a senior and junior brass band, windband and orchestra and so everyone has the facilities to take part.
All the people that take part in these activities have been playing since they were 9/10. It makes all the difference!!

I also think that sometimes some peoples attitude to banding is wrong. Everyone in a brass band obviously loves it and takes great pleasure from it. But i sometimes get the feeling that it is not taken quite as seriously as it should be.

I'm not gonna name drop but someone in our band has given me this impression.
Before last years area as we were waiting backstage, i was very nervous but also excited and this person said "i shouldn't get so excited, we're not going to come anywhere"!!!!! I couldn't believe it. Why spend weeks and weeks coming to rehearsals etc. if you have that attitude? We did actually qualify, go to dundee and gain promotion!!
To top it all off, when we got Vizcaya, the same person said "if i can't play it then i'm not going to the area"!
Now this person is a well loved and important part of the band but why go to the effort of practice to gain promotion and progress as a band if you have that sort of attitude??

Sorry to go on, but that really annoyed me, seeing as we all enjoy it so much, i feel attitudes like this put a downer on the rest of the band.

 

[Mark Bousie]

Obviously, can't disagree with the more beer and less politics within bands suggestions, but more seriously I really think we need just one national organisation ( not a few relatively inaffective ones who rarely communicate) made up of intelligent, forward looking people. We really need something (somebody) to get to grips with the issues of publicising our movement, changing the image held by a lot of the general public, recruiting and keeping players, education and generally taking the dinosaur forward ( I don't mean this to sound too negative!).

I believe in Norway they have a very energetic, effective and forward thinking organisation doing just these things - weren't the recent Europeans there covered by National Televison?! Food for thought perhaps?