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Contests are essential - without the shouting

Adrian wrote:

Do we have a Mahler out there, or a Strauss (Richard), or a
Shostakovich, or a Stravinsky, or a Ravel? No! And why?

this I must contest (pun intended)

The only reason that these people didn't write for BB is that they didn't
have
that culture in their country!
If you look at the list of broadly known Composers who have written for the
medium, they are ALL British until recently.
I think that people like Henze have been involved only because of the great
influx of European bands in the last couple of decades.
(Dare I say because of the introduction of the European Championship? - hee
hee)
I you look at the bands (almost purely military and marching) that you see
in
old news reels from Germany and Russia,
I don't think I would be inspired to write for them.

As for the survival of the movement, I'm not so extreme as that, but I
would say
that contests do create a community.
Particularly in Australia, where these bands would NEVER see each other for
comparison of technique, music, etc. but for contests.
I would say that unfortunately in Australia no member of a band would get
to
hear another band more than once a year if there were no contests.
I always try to go to the gala concerts, because this is the only chance I
would
get to hear Australia's top bands in Concert!
More than that, I always try to hear as much of the A-grade playing (in the
contest) to know what is acheivable.
I feel it can only help our band and my own playing. It's the tyranny of
distance, old chap.

I certainly would not pay the flight costs just to see Dandenong (sorry
Dandenong, but your example) play a concert of lollipops
(the general fare that the punter - that's leaving in droves - wants). It
even
makes the prospect of seeing Grimethorpe very edgy
(whom I probably would not have heard about if it wasn't for contests -
this is
before the movie of course).

I also feel that contests help keep the organisational committees in place.
Now some would say that if they disappeared, it wouldn't be a bad thing.
However we must have the committees to organise the larger scale things
that
help keep the community of banding together.

On the subject of there being no orchestra competitions, I must say that I
feel that they orchestral music world is highly competitive, it's just that
they call their competitions auditions. For individuals who have made a
career in music, they continually have to prove themselves by means of
competition against new and younger players to keep their job or gain a
better one.

It might be fine in England where you can get ten bands in a city and a
couple
of colleges with courses (luxury! - in a Monty Python welsh accent),
but I can't imagine anything exciting coming out of the BB movement in
Australia
if competitions were removed.
We wouldn't even get to see Monkey, I would bet.

Rolf Miezitis
1st Baritone
Glenorchy City Concert Brass

Rolf Miezitis
Network Administrator/Consultant
Senstra
Ph: 03 6222 3820
Fx: 03 6222 3836
Mb: 0418 488 866
"Everybody is somebody else's weirdo..."


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