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Launched in the spring of 2006 to encourage less experienced brass players and complete beginners to find out what it is like to make music together, the Training Band is already a success. Aimed at children of all ages from 8 to 80+, the Training Band has around 16 regular players at the weekly gatherings starting at 6:30pm on Monday nights before the main bands rehearsal. Most players are youngsters but some of the parents have been persuaded to have a go.
The Training Band is run by run by the Musical Director John Dickinson, who is a vastly experience teacher at the Royal Northern College of Music and Chetham's School of Music. He was also principal trumpet with the Halle orchestra for many years. Individual coaching is provided for new starters until they are confident enough to have a go with the main group and if anyone needs a bit of help on a particular point, they can also have some one-to-one assistance. With this all-round approach, the players are making great progress.
Clearly, the hope is that players will progress through the Training Band to play in the main band as they become more skilled and vacancies occur. In fact, this is already happening and several players are regularly staying on for all or part of the main band rehearsal later in the evening.
Sale Brass has obtained several grants over the last year, some of which were to provide new instruments for the Training Band. Most of these are now in use but if anyone is interested in joining the training band but hasn't got an instrument, one can usually be found.
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The Training Band with Katrina Marzella & Brendan Wheeler. |
In the past we have welcomed some very special guests to encourage and pass on tips to our beginners. Guests have included Katrina Marzella and Brenden Wheeler, both of whom were winners of the BBC Radio 2 Young Brass Soloist of the Year, and at present both play with Leyland Band. We also had a visit from Mark Wilkinson, Principal Cornet with Foden's Band who gave an interesting talk on how he first started playing and what it's like to play with a Championship Section Band. These visitors gave such encouragement and good advice that we are hoping to have more guests in the future
So Come and Have a Blow!
If you've never played at all and would like to try your hand at brass banding or if you've had some lessons and would like to have a go at playing with a group or if you once played in the school band but gave it up when other things got in the way, please give our Training Band Coordinator a call on the number below. You will be more than welcome. Mums and Dads can sit in or just drop off and collect. Better still, they can have a go themselves!
Sale Brass has an established child protection policy. Among other things, this requires that everyone on the Training Band team must undergo an enhanced CRB (Criminal Records Bureau - www.crb.gov.uk) check. We have also appointed one of the parents as an independent Child Welfare Officer.
Contact:
Peter Corbishley - Training Band Coordinator 07968 807 691 for more information.
For Main Band contact and for all further information please contact the Band Secretary Soo Cook 07970 718499