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Thread: To Those Returning to Playing

  1. #1

    To Those Returning to Playing

    I thought I would post this to give encouragement to those of you who are thinking of returning to playing.

    My background: played Euphonium when younger with a British Brass Band until I was 16yrs old. At that time I joined the Army as a bandsman but due to no vancancies for Euphonium players I was offered the option of a job if I was prepared to learn woodwind, which I did. I left the army in 1992 after 8 1/2 yrs, being a solo clarinetist for the last few years of service.

    It was then that I gave up music until March 2018 when I’d decided I needed a hobby and wanted to play Euphonium again. After a 35yr break I was unsure if this was even possible but after seeing a vacancy in a local brass band decided to give it a go.

    It hasn’t been easy but through practice, practice and practice I have managed to get up to a reasonable standard in the 10 months since starting back. There have been frustrating times but also enjoyable times. It still doesn’t feel natural but is getting there.

    The bands solo Euphonium player left the band just before Christmas so I had to step up to the challenge for all the Christmas concerts which was hard work but also enjoyable. Since then I have remained in the solo seat with a new player joining the band playing 2nd Euphonium alongside me.

    Last weekend was the highlight since I returned to playing. A Brass Band contest where I was playing solo Euphonium for the very first time. Not only did we win but I also won the prize for best Euphonium in our section.

    I hope this gives some encouragement to those players who are returning or thinking of returning after a long break from playing. It’s not easy, but well worth it if you stick at it.

    Here a link to the recording of our winning performance if anyone is interested. It’s only recorded on a phone so not the best quality.

    https://youtu.be/DxFw46dRnmg

    Here’s my award:

    Click image for larger version. 

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  2. #2
    Thanks for adding your encouragement! It's wonderful that you have had such success coming back (the band sound quite good, by the way, and it speaks to your level of ability that you are in the first seat).

    In recent years I've had 2 euphonium students who are my age or older, and who returned to playing after 30 or more years of not touching a brass instrument. They have both blossomed into their respective musical personas and are playing in several groups!

    Music is a great lifelong hobby, which offers physical and mental benefits. (Arthur Lehman talks about the physical benefits of low brass playing in this article.) It's also a fine way to keep socially active once a person retires from full-time work, which is something I look forward to later this year.
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  3. #3
    That was beautiful playing, and very encouraging words. Thank you!
    "Never over complicate things. Accept "bad" days. Always enjoy yourself when playing, love the sound we can make on our instruments (because that's why we all started playing the Euph)"

    Euph: Yamaha 642II Neo - 千歌音
    Mouthpiece: K&G 4D, Denis Wick 5AL

    https://soundcloud.com/ashsparkle_chika
    https://www.youtube.com/user/AshTSparkle/

  4. #4
    Dave, thank you for your reply.

    I hope it does encourage others to keep going when it gets tough. The first few weeks were difficult when I started playing again and it would have been easy to give up thinking that I’d left it too long. I’m glad I kept at it.

    It was mainly due to working shifts that I never had the opportunity to start playing again earlier. But as I’m now retired it is indeed a good way to make use of my time and keep socially active.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by ChristianeSparkle View Post
    That was beautiful playing, and very encouraging words. Thank you!
    Thank you Christiane.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    West Palm Beach, FL
    Posts
    3,853
    Great story! Thanks for sharing. Very nice playing by the band too.

    I too came back to playing after a long break of 33 years. It’s tough but worth the work. Been back playing now for 19 years.
    Rick Floyd
    Miraphone 5050 - Warburton BJ / RF mpc
    YEP-641S (recently sold)
    Doug Elliott - 102 rim; I-cup; I-9 shank


    "Always play with a good tone, never louder than lovely, never softer than supported." - author unknown.
    Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches
    El Cumbanchero (Raphael Hernandez, arr. Naohiro Iwai)
    Chorale and Shaker Dance
    (John Zdechlik)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Hidden Valley, AZ
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    Kudos!

    DG

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Indianapolis area
    Posts
    1,003
    Def1,
    In 1989-90, I played solo euph in a 4th section band in Grantham while I was an exchange professor at a local college. If your band is fourth section, you sound great...and the piece is nice too! Excellent!!
    The Grantham band disappeared a few years later, unfortunately, and I never heard anything about a new band there.
    After the semester ended, I got to sit in a few times with a second section band in Wales--I'm still amazed at how good the bands are in the UK!
    Carry on!! ;-)
    Jim
    Jim Williams N9EJR (love 10 meter CW)
    Formerly Principal Euphonium in a whole
    bunch of groups, now just a schlub.
    Shires Q41, Yamaha 321, 621 Baritone
    Wick 4AL, Wessex 4Y, or whatever I grab.
    Conn 50H trombone, Blue P-bone
    www.soundcloud.com/jweuph

  9. #9
    DEF1,

    Jim's story reminds me that I sat in with the Wingates Band in 1983 (they were Bass Wingates at the time). I'm not solid on my knowledge of the "section" system. I know that Wingates was not considered to be in the contender list for national champs, but what section do you think they would have been at that time? My wife (also a musician) and I were very impressed with the band's playing, especially musicality and ensemble-wise.

    It was an education for me! We had heard the championships at Royal Albert Hall when we were there in 1980, and it was mind blowing! That was the year Black Dyke missed the double hat-trick to Brighouse. Anyway, I recall thinking as I sat in the group that most of the players, as individual players, were not quite as good as comparable players in the Coast Guard Band. However, I think their playing as an ensemble was in many ways better! There is probably a lesson in there somewhere!
    Dave Werden (ASCAP)
    Euphonium Soloist, U.S. Coast Guard Band, retired
    Adams Artist (Adams E3)
    Alliance Mouthpiece (DC3)
    YouTube: dwerden
    Facebook: davewerden
    Twitter: davewerden
    Instagram: davewerdeneuphonium

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by RickF View Post
    Great story! Thanks for sharing. Very nice playing by the band too.

    I too came back to playing after a long break of 33 years. It’s tough but worth the work. Been back playing now for 19 years.
    Thanks Rick,

    Good to hear that others have been in similar situations.

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