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Re: Introductions and Reflections

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Introductions and Reflections
From: MJENKINS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 07 Aug 1995 14:19:39 -0500 (EST)

Hello all.
  Dan Gordon raises a good point about the emphasis that the brass band
world places on competition. I enjoy going to contests in order to
hear what other bands are up to, what they sound like, to pick up nre
new repertoire, and to generally meet other BBers; however, there do seem
to be many people who place inordinate importance on who beat who by how
many points. And this is in the States, where contesting is a fairly new
and somewhat narrowly practiced phenomenon. I can only imagine how intense
it must be in many corners of the UK, Australia, etc.

  That said, I should also point out that there are many bands in North
America that do not contest at all, and many of those that do are also
working to spread the magnificent sound of the brass band to the musical
world at large. In the Brass Band of Columbus, we play a full concert
season of programmes comparable to those of American concert bands, with
fairly heavy works and orchestral transcriptions interspersed with solos
and swing tunes and marches, etc. We have also worked to present the
brass band sound and repertoire to the rest of the musical world by perform


performing at such events as the recent International Brassfest in Bloomington,
Indiana; TUBA and International Trumpet Guild conferences; the Music
Educators National Conference; and the American School Band Directors 
Association conference. This December, we will play at the MidWest Band
and Orchestra Clinic. So there is more to life than contesting. There's
proselytizing!

Remember, the most important thing is to make good music. If it happens
to make some judge so happy that he writes down a high number, so be it.
If not, that's fine too!

Cheers,

******************************************************************
Martin D. Jenkins			mjenkins@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Music Library Coordinator/		
  Humanities Team LeaderVoice: (513) 873-4983
Wright State University			FAX: (513) 873-2356
			
	  "Timing is everything in doing a rain dance."
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