Brass Band Logo

NJH Music Logo

Some of the contents of the pages on this site are Copyright © 2016 NJH Music
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Re: (No Subject)

I'm including the complete exchange of messages here as I don't believe
they ever made the list. I was contacted by "The Brass Band Police"
following a short message I posted (the one referring to serpents). I then
responded as can be seen. This resulted in the email that follows.

I don't know who this person is or what sort of band they play with  but
for the bulk of the band movement, there is no sponsorship - the only
income is from subscriptions and public appearances. In other words
playing for the punters who bother to pay to listen. The suggestion that
audiences don't know any different is frankly insulting to every musician
that ever goes to listen to another band (or indeed, other musical
combination). 

And what's wrong with the military? quite a few of us spent time in army
bands including a number of the top conductors around today - Frank
renton, Peter Parkes spring immediately to mind.

To the final point: people are quick to knock the movement for it's
dependance on contesting - we contest as part of the continuing
development of the band. We also entertain during the summer and apply the
same standards to our preparation for that too. 

One final point, I'm always happy to express my opinions and have them
commented on but can I suggest that as a standard on this list,
we should all be prepared to put our names to anything we write! "Brass
Band Police" now, when can we expect the "thought police"




In your Message regarding "Re: Re: (No Subject)" dated 30 Apr 98, Brass 
Band Police  <lestrade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> said that ...


> There is always room on the brass band list for
> another comment on the subject.
> "Currently reffered to as a brass band?"
> That's an interesting way to put it?
> Why aren't you on the "Serpent" list instead?
> "audience first"  That's correct, but audiences
> don't know the difference. You could have the
> band put down their instruments and dance 
> and the audience would still love it.  
> so why bother with a brass band at all?
> Oh no... not a military story...
> Well in the military you are more geared for 
> that kind of thing and the availibility of 
> many more instruments.
> It's not a matter of samantics...
> You can get away with anything when you
> are "trying" to entertain.
> Is that all that brass bands mean to you?
> 
> lestrade
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> 
> >The "Brass Band Police" said:
> >> Please make substantial comments to the list.
> >> You usually have more to say.
> >
> >There's so much being said on the subject of alternative instrumentation
> >already but I'll gladly expand on my original "serpent" comment.
> >
> >I am involved in making music, one of the mediums just happens to be what
> >is currently referred to as a brass band. As with all aspects of of
> >showbusiness (and that's what we're in folks when punters pay hard earned
> >punds or emu's to hear us) we must entertain - the audience first,
> >ourselves second. If adding extra rhythm instruments enhances an audiences
> >enjoyment then that's fine by me.
> >In my days as an army musician, we often added a bass guitar and a singer
> >in the sinatra style - audiences loved it! As they also loved the
> >occasional switch to a big band line up (ie ditch the clarinets and add
> >saxes). 
> >On summer bandstands, the public like to hear tunes they know and can tap
> >their feet to - we try and oblige with sometimes dire results, especially
> >with the swing idiom. - no decent rhythm section for starters.
> >Then we move onto orchestral transcriptions which miss the mark of the
> >original - for example, sometimes, what is written for a french horn
> >doesn't sound right on anything else. 
> >
> >Whether or not the resulting combination is still fundamentally a brass
> >band is just semantics
> >
> >=3DA0=3DA0 
> >Andy Wooler
> >Resident Conductor, Uckfield Concert Brass
> >MD The Classic Dance Band, Trumpet: Sussex Symphony Orchestra
> >andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx , http://www.awooler.demon.co.uk
> >
> >
> >
> >
> 
> 
> Join 18 million Eudora users by signing up for a free Eudora Web-Mail account
at http://www.eudoramail.com


=A0=A0 
Andy Wooler
Resident Conductor, Uckfield Concert Brass
MD The Classic Dance Band, Trumpet: Sussex Symphony Orchestra
andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx , http://www.awooler.demon.co.uk


--
unsubscribe or receive the list in digest form, mail a message of 'help' to
listserver@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Services] [Contact Us] [Advertise with us] [About] [Tell a friend about us] [Copyright © 2016 NJH Music]