Can anyone help?

I took up the cornet again in January after a very long absence and decided to start from (nearly) the beginning with a view to joining a local brass band (West Yorkshire) as I love the music, play the CDs all the time and generally drive my 11 year old insane. I am taking my ABRSM Grade 2 next month and aim to take the Grade 3 at the end of the year. I remember when I was at school learning, many moons ago, that I was encouraged to join a band to enhance my playing.

I know there are a number of Junior Bands and Learner Bands but being of the (cough) older fraternity, I am trying to find out what is an acceptable standard to start to enquire about joining a more senior band.

Now before you say that it depends on the standard of the band, I am not looking to join the Black Dyke Band or the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, just a local non competing or 4th Section band for a bit of fun.

I have thought about ringing a few but don?t want to look an idiot when invited down and realise that I just won?t cut it, likewise I don?t want to wait until I have done Grade 5 and realise that I could have joined on 2 grades ago.

Has anyone got any advice?

Thanks

Try this:

http://www.abrsm.org/forum/index.php?showt...&hl=list+of

Hey =)

Sorry don't live near you so can't really tell you much about local brass bands but most of my brass band are older and have learnt through playing with a band. So I would say give them a ring and tell them your level of playing. They will probably put you on 3rd or 2nd to begin with and then you can work your way up.

I wouldn't say having any grade is particually needed as its completely different to just playing solo or with piano accompaniment. I really would give them a ring as playing with a band can actually help your playing. =)

Hope this helps

Lisa x

As Lisa says, ring up your nearest band.

Most 4th section bands will welcome players of any level to sit in at practices. Nobody ever asked me what grade I was at (just as well as I never took grade exams!)

Me too. I started knowing how to read music (from piano lessons) and how to finger the tenor horn. It was a band of very moderate standard, but it got paid for gigs. Within 12 months of joining it I was earning my first money playing music in the local band stand for three days. It took me another seven years before I could match the rate of pay in a full-time job. I worked my way up to solo cornet and, finally, Eb soprano cornet doubling on tubular bells before leaving the area and concentrating on orchestral horn.

Does it have to be a brass band? I know a few concert bands around me who would welcome brass players from about grade 2 standard