“A gentleman is someone who knows how to play the baritone and doesn’t” Mark Twain. Why did you end up on the brass instrument you play in your band? Was it by chance or, as a kid, did you deliberately seek out your musical destiny on a baritone, bass, or bongo? When I first began […]
Brass bands invest a ridiculous amount of money to buy and maintain a set of instruments which should be revered, pampered and treated like the Crown Jewels. Alas there are some mechanical freaks who treat these magnificent contraptions with utter contempt. You can forgive very young learners to a certain extent and excuse the odd […]
Summer…so there it was…Gone! And now it’s lips to the banding grindstone. Busy, busy, busy with back to back Open and Nationals. Did you bother to give your brass instrument an MOT over the summer? Did you spend any time at all with your expensive mechanical masterpiece? Did you even look at the case? Thought […]
There’s nothing quite like the sound of jingling bells in a brass band! It absolutely sets the mood of any piece. It’s that magical ‘Christmassy’ feel that jingling bells instantly transport you to. That mystical Santa’s sleighs and reindeer, Rudolf and all that jingling jazz! History of Jingling Bells – when did jingle bells first […]
Xylophones may not seem like the best introduction to percussion buy they are really appealing to kids. Xylophones can be colourful and can also be designed to fun to play and play with. I review 5 top rated xylophones that will really appeal to a young musician to be. A combination of colour, playful appeal […]
I have recently made the decision to go back to my flugelhorn roots. I spent 13 years on this magical instrument in Tredegar back in the late 80’s and 90’s and had a shorter 3-year stint at Newbridge 2004-2007. I didn’t play anything from 2007 through to 2015 and then went back to banding with […]
Guestpost from John Barber – Courtesy of Brass Band World Magazine There was a time when the domain at the back of a band room occupied little space. To sit there didn’t require a significant audition process and to be a section leader demanded no more than the basic knowledge of pulse and the ownership […]
Buying a top rated electronic drum set can be expensive. However we look at 5 of the best affordable electronic drum kits ideal for beginners that won’t break the bank and are packed with quality. Drum sets are loud and require quite a bit of space. Parents of children and teens who want to learn how to play […]
Brass band instruments have been made in various metals for over 200 years and quite recently plastic instruments have started to appear on the market. There are now plastic cornets, plastic trumpets, plastic trombones, plastic euphoniums and now even plastic basses. Plastic novelty or are they a contender for their long established metal cousins? The […]