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Re: Phil McCann (fwd)

To: brass-band@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Phil McCann (fwd)
From: "Eric J. Woodsworth" <ejw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 95 11:09:48 CST
In-reply-to: <15563@smsltd.demon.co.uk>; from "Nigel Horne" at Oct 19, 95 4:22 pm
Mailer: Elm [revision: 70.85]

> > My name is Fred Harvey and I play solo horn in Imperial Brass, a brass band
> > located in central New Jersey.USA.
[...]
> > Questions to consider:  When a band loses a contest, should players be
> > replaced to upgrade the band?
> > Should a new conductor be hired with that little extra something we need to
> > take us to the top?
> > Is it who has the power?
> > Whose band is it anyway?

Good questions!  It's very important to consider question 4 early in the
band's history, since it determines the answers to the other 3 (though
I'm not sure of the implications of #3).
Personally I believe the democratic approach is preferable, i.e. the
members have the power to decide; you may get more spectacular results
in the short term through dictatorship, but your following may also be
less solid in the long term.

Despite that, we favour a certain degree of dictatorship in our band
(Saskatoon Brass Band).  In most matters we are democratic, but we leave
final authority in programming, seat assignments, and other matters
musical to the bandmaster.  The Board of Directors (elected solely by the 
members) selects the bandmaster, but we are conscious of a dual role: that 
of getting to the limits of our ability, and that of serving our community 
through free public concerts and low membership fees.  In that our purpose 
is not uniquely focussed on competition, we are probably not destined for 
"the top"; correspondingly we have relatively little pub-based backstabbing 
of the kind you describe.

But it sure sounds good.  I think most of us are becoming BB fanatics.

Eric Woodsworth

References:
- Phil McCann (fwd)
  - From: Nigel Horne

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