Another year is almost at its’ conclusion and within a few hours it will be 2022! The years seem to pass by so rapidly. Just looking at the ‘2022’ banner above, I find it hard to believe that it was as long ago as 22 years that we welcomed in the New Millenium – Year 2000! I was residing in Wimborne back then and following a delightful curry in one of the very few places not charging a New Year entrance fee we made our way into the Square which as you can imagine was crowded with thousands of New Year Revellers. We edged our way through the crowd to a vantage point in front of the King’s Head Hotel and as the Minster began to strike the midnight hour the roar of the crowd was just like being in a grand sports stadia such as Twickenham or the Millenium Stadium Wales (as it was so christened at midnight). A Piper appeared and played on the King’s Head balcony, fireworks illuminated the sky, the rain pelted down and the anticipated ‘Millenium Bug’ did not happen so all things ‘IT’ were safe and we partied for a good couple of hours. The quiet amble home in the early hours gave rise to a conversation centred on ‘New Year Resolutions'. I make them every year and some survive for the entire 12 months but admittedly some do drop off the edge and fail to stand the test of time! A recurring resolution of mine that does remain steadfast and true for the whole year is ‘that I will continue to practise my Trumpet/Cornet regularly’. Some people think that because I have been playing for so many years that I don’t need to practise much at all. Quite the opposite in fact, I find that as I get older the more practise I need to be doing to play at the levels in music which I enjoy. So enough about New Year Resolutions which are personal to me, how about a Gillingham Band Academy Resolution?
Gillingham Band Academy New Year Resolution(s):
What about everybody giving this some thought and returning to our first get together in the New Year (which will be on Tuesday the 11th January 2022 – Tuesday Group and Friday the 7th January 2022 Friday Training Band) with some New Year Resolutions for the Academy. It could be a resolution which is specific to you such as ‘I will try to practise at home 3 times each week for 15 minutes each session’ and/or, ‘I will clean my instrument inside/out 4 times during 2022’. Alternatively it could be an Academy Resolution and for this I want to suggest one that I have been thinking about over Christmas - ‘Getting more people to join the Academy and learning a Brass instrument in 2022’.
Let’s get more people to join the Academy:
We are meeting in Committee next Tuesday to discuss amongst other points, recruitment across the whole spectrum of the Band. It will be great to increase our number of playing members both in the Senior Band and the Academy during 2022 and we can all play a part in this drive to find new faces. In the past and pre pandemic we were taking along an Ensemble of Senior Band players to local primary schools and playing a short concert followed by workshops a few weeks later for pupils to try out a few brass instruments and if further interested for them to come along to try out the Academy. Clearly with Covid issues still present, such a venture is not a current option but there are other ways and means by which we can raise the Band’s profile out in the community to let people know just what we can offer new and developing brass players.
Mums/Dads/Relatives/Friends
Here is as good a starting point as any! The Academy is for all ages, not just the younger people. Many Bands have family groups within their playing members and Gillingham is no different. In the Main Band there are three family groups represented and in the past there have been family groups of 3 or 4 from one household in the Academy. So why not come along with your Son/Daughter, find an instrument which suits you and enjoy learning a new instrument or it may be that you too played some years ago and if so, why not revive the interest. There is no pressure to be at rehearsal every week as I appreciate and understand that work commitments can be onerous but what about giving it a go? Spread the word amongst relatives and friends as well, these are all things that you can do to help the recruitment drive and by next Christmas, it would be fantastic to have at least doubled both Academy and Senior Band Membership!
Reflecting on the Autumn Term:
The Autumn Term return was ‘fantastic’ and exceeded all of my expectations. Everyone in the Tuesday Beginner Brass Group worked so hard and produced credible results so much so that we were able to play a whole host of music and especially some Christmas tunes in the latter weeks. To each and everyone of the Tuesday Group a big thank you – well done!! If we could have had a few more weeks prep’. I am sure there could have been a slot for this group in the Senior Band Annual Christmas Concert. But, 2022 promises to be a great year as things hopefully become easier with Covid and there will be opportunities for both Beginner Brass and Training Band to show family and friends and the community just what you can all do in respect of great brass playing. For Training Band members, I know that from now and up to and including June, a number of players are going to be busy studying for and taking GCSE and A level exams but do what you can do. A break from studying on a Friday evening to join in with a Training Band rehearsal may act as a refresher setting one up for a good return to studying on the Saturday and Sunday.
The Academy is your Academy:
The Academy be that the Beginner Brass Group or the Training Band is ‘Your Academy’, so if there are any pieces of music/tunes that you would like to play during the New Year, then please do let me know and provided they are within playable capabilities, we will get parts sourced/arranged to enjoy at our weekly meetings.
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) Prep’. Test?
Would anyone who has not already embarked upon the ABRSM (or Trinity) Practical Graded Exams on their instrument be interested in partaking of an ABRSM Prep’. Test sometime during the new year? There is no Pass/Fail, participants play two short pieces, a few simple exercises from memory and join in with a few listening games. At the end the ABRSM Assessor gives out a Certificate and a few comments as to how the test has gone. These Prep’. Tests are great for someone who has never taken a Practical Graded Exam by giving a player the opportunity to engage with some music tests without pressure. If interest is out there then please let me know and we can arrange some group sessions to prepare.
Be Covid-Safe:
We still need to be careful in respect of Covid please so just a reminder of a few things that we all need to do to keep us all working together to beat the Covid Virus -
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Bell covers to be used on instruments
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Adults to wear facemasks (exception being if playing a brass instrument)
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Pre rehearsal warm ups to be carried out seated in your band seat please
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Use hand gel on entering the building (base of staircase)
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Instrument to be regularly cleaned inside and out and especially the mouthpiece
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Water from instruments to be deposited into an absorbent cloth that is personal to you and transported to and from rehearsal in a plastic (preferably seal-able) bag
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Please inform myself or Steve if you test positive for Covid
Subscriptions:
For the Spring Term and onwards, Academy subscriptions will be back to normal rates -
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£15
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If two members from the same family are in the Academy then £15 one person and all others £10 each
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If an Academy member has a member of the family playing in and paying a full Senior Band subscription then no Academy subscription to pay
There are a few Academy subscriptions to be paid from the last term so if you could settle these as well at or near to the beginning of the Spring term it would be very much appreciated, thank you.
Spring Term returning dates:
Training Band – Friday 7th January 2022 – 6.30pm
Beginner Brass – Tuesday 11th January 2022 – 6pm
Hopefully, the Spring Term return will not be impaired by any further Covid control measures. However, if there are any changes announced by the Government which do impact upon what we do or do not do, I will write to all to keep you fully updated.
Looking forward to seeing you all in the Spring term and if you did not return in the Autumn then it will be great to see you as well but again, no pressure, when you are ready is fine – a seat awaits you.
Happy New Year to you all and let us work hard to increase our playing members and to play some more great music in 2022!!!