Brass Bands in the US

[enhite]

Thank you DaveBj and enhite, just another thought would the euphoniums be playing treble clef ?

Yes. In British Brass Band (and Salvation Army Brass) tradition, most of our arrangements use treble clef.

[MikeS]

There are two brass bands I am aware of in the Chicago area. The Prairie Brass Band

http://www.prairiebrass.org/

and the Chicago Brass Band

http://original.chicagobrassband.org/

I live in Columbus Ohio, where we have four active adult brass bands and a junior band. Dr. Paul Droste, who was for many years the conductor of the Ohio State University Marching Band, has been a life long brass band enthusiast and helped get the movement started here. The current director of the OSU Marching Band, Dr. Chris Hoch, conducts the Scioto Valley Brass Band.

[Eupher6]

There are at least 3 in the Twin Cities area. I'm not fully connected to this scene, so there may be more.

When I first moved here 20 years ago there were 2 I knew of: The Lake Wobegon Brass Band here in the cities and the Sheldon Theater Brass Band in Red Wing (about an hour away). In more recent years I've heard of the Twin Cities Brass Band as well. Seems like a pretty healthy environment here, anyway.

The North American Brass Band Association does not list ANY in Minnesota, so apparently the ones I know of don't see a need to be in the Association. So there are different "tracks" a band might take. NABBA also shows none on the West Coast, and I believe there are several out there. I'm not sure how one would obtain an accurate count to see what the trend is!

From my experience of having been involved in brass bands in Europe and in the U.S., there are a couple things:

First, NABBA is pretty much geared to those bands who choose to compete. Not all brass bands do, as has been noted. I played principal euph in Utah Premiere Brass from 2001 till 2003, and they didn't compete then, and I don't believe they compete now. Still a fine band, though.

Second, NABBA seems to have focused on the east coast and extending out to the Midwest. Not too much out west, I'm afraid.

Third, I'd say that brass bands have increased in numbers since I came back to the States in the mid-Nineties, but the numbers still pale in comparison to wind ensembles and concert bands.

It's still difficult to find BBb tuba players to read treble clef in Bb, and it's still tough to find trumpet players who are willing to put that horn down and pick up a cornet. Ditto for French horn players putting that horn down to pick up a tenor horn.

In my area (central Arkansas), the Natural State Brass Band is the only one I'm aware of. I am subbing with them on BBb tuba at the moment.

[Davidus1]

Dave - It seems the Twin Cities area does have a lot to offer musically and I seem to hear it mentioned a lot in various musical settings. Isn't the Sheldon Theatre Band there and active as well? Lots of good stuff in your area. I live an hour south of St. Louis and there are opportunities here and in St. Louis. St. Louis Brass Band is a performing group but not necessarily active in competition. I suspect as Doug points out that the tremendous expense of travel is a burden to all groups.

There are at least 3 in the Twin Cities area. I'm not fully connected to this scene, so there may be more.

When I first moved here 20 years ago there were 2 I knew of: The Lake Wobegon Brass Band here in the cities and the Sheldon Theater Brass Band in Red Wing (about an hour away). In more recent years I've heard of the Twin Cities Brass Band as well. Seems like a pretty healthy environment here, anyway.

The North American Brass Band Association does not list ANY in Minnesota, so apparently the ones I know of don't see a need to be in the Association. So there are different "tracks" a band might take. NABBA also shows none on the West Coast, and I believe there are several out there. I'm not sure how one would obtain an accurate count to see what the trend is!

[Davidus1]

Glad to hear that you have an opportunity! That's great. I will admit, being a tuba player, that I don't regularly work on reading treble clef. I would if I played in a brass band. I did play briefly in a brass band in Fayetteville, NC sponsored by Black and Decker. This was the mid 80s though and I have not played with a brass band since but still love to listen to that genre.

From my experience of having been involved in brass bands in Europe and in the U.S., there are a couple things:

First, NABBA is pretty much geared to those bands who choose to compete. Not all brass bands do, as has been noted. I played principal euph in Utah Premiere Brass from 2001 till 2003, and they didn't compete then, and I don't believe they compete now. Still a fine band, though.

Second, NABBA seems to have focused on the east coast and extending out to the Midwest. Not too much out west, I'm afraid.

Third, I'd say that brass bands have increased in numbers since I came back to the States in the mid-Nineties, but the numbers still pale in comparison to wind ensembles and concert bands.

It's still difficult to find BBb tuba players to read treble clef in Bb, and it's still tough to find trumpet players who are willing to put that horn down and pick up a cornet. Ditto for French horn players putting that horn down to pick up a tenor horn.

In my area (central Arkansas), the Natural State Brass Band is the only one I'm aware of. I am subbing with them on BBb tuba at the moment.

[Molefsky]

Reviving a bit of an old thread, sorry.

I'd say they're on the rise. There are now at least 4 in Arkansas, including the newly formed Arkansas Musicworks Brass Band who won the US Open in 2018. I'm the executive director for that group but we actually have two in Northwest Arkansas, one in Little Rock, and one in Northeast Arkansas as well.

Fountain City (Kansas City) has had the most competitive success internationally, recently or ever(?). They've also got multiple feeder bands as well.

BTW, our band is looking for a fill-in euph player to come to two competitions with us this year. Please message me if you know of someone that may be interested.

[lzajmom]

There is a British Brass Brand that plays around here, but I had never heard of them until I recently began searching for somewhere to play. Hard to say whether that's because they don't perform very often or simply that they have a marketing problem.

[jkircoff]

Is there anyone here who attended NABBA over the weekend? I was there with the Capital City Brass Band.

[daruby]

Hi. I was there with New England Brass Band. Also 2nd section.

Doug

[jkircoff]

Hi. I was there with New England Brass Band. Also 2nd section.

Doug

Hi Doug! You played in the morning session when I was in solo and ensemble competitions, so I was unable to see you or any of the morning second section bands. Capital City was the first second section band in the afternoon, and after we played I was band guide for the Brass Band of Central Florida (wow are they good). It was a great weekend - so many talented and friendly people!

[mscolegrove]

My teacher, Tony Clements, conducts the Mission Peak Brass Band in Northern California and that's the only brass band I've seen in concert.

[daruby]

My teacher, Tony Clements, conducts the Mission Peak Brass Band in Northern California and that's the only brass band I've seen in concert.

I went to high school in 1968/29 with Tony after his family moved from the Bronx (he graduated in 1970). I have talked with him about Brass bands. He enjoys the Mission Peak band, but last I heard, he didn't care much for the competition part of brass banding. Sometimes I am ambivalent about the competitions, but the chance to get together with 1400 hundred other like minded folk once a year at NABBA and hear some of the best performances of the year is something I cannot turn down. I get to see so many colleagues and friends that I would not otherwise see...

Doug

[bbocaner]

I can get a little bit competitive, but for me the true value of a competition is forcing the ensemble to get things to a very high level. So often if you are just performing concerts there's a "good enough" level of preparation which is a long long way from both technical perfection and the highest level of artistry your group can achieve. Participating in a contest really forces the issue, and that's a very healthy thing for the group!

[jkircoff]

I can get a little bit competitive, but for me the true value of a competition is forcing the ensemble to get things to a very high level. So often if you are just performing concerts there's a "good enough" level of preparation which is a long long way from both technical perfection and the highest level of artistry your group can achieve. Participating in a contest really forces the issue, and that's a very healthy thing for the group!

This is the primary reason why I like the competition. We keep it in perspective, with our primary goal being to do our best and let the cards fall where they may. The end result is a better band and better musicians.