Community Band

BigDub

I had an interesting experience this week. Several months ago I got accepted to the Florida “All Star Community Band”. It is made up of around 110 musicians from around fifty or more community bands from all over the state who are recommended by their local band directors. Every few years this band forms and performs at the State of Florida Band Directors Conference. In general, each player in the band comes from the first or second seat in their home band’s section. Through attrition, not talent, I as a three and a half year comeback player, sit in the second seat of the first trumpet section of my home band. Most of the participsnts have extended experience and are great musicians. Each piece played is chosen and conducted by different “all star” conductors from around the state.
We all got together for the first time Monday afternoon and evening. Our rehearsal lasted over 5 hours.
At 8:15 am Tuesday we met again and rehearsed until 5:00 pm with a 1 hr lunch break.
Wednesday we met at 8:15 am again and rehearsed until 12 noon including a dress rehearsal from 11:00 to 12:00. At 3:30 we started our 1 hr concert. By the start of the concert, my lip was like a piece of wood. Fortunately I was one of four people assigned second cornet / trumpet, but never the less the pieces were quite challenging.
Out of curiosity, have any of you experienced such intense sessions culminating in a high profile, high level performance without major rest? If so, was this at an amateur level, or professional level. Is this what a professional band or orchestra goes through routinely, or is this an exception. I felt very sorry for the first trumpet players, but somehow they held up and did a great job. I certainly had my problems often times could be heard playing unison with the trombones, or blowing occlusal air balls.
Never the less it was a challenging but great experience. If given the opportunity, I would do it again.

@SSmith1226 said in Community Band:

I had an interesting experience this week. Several months ago I got accepted to the Florida “All Star Community Band”. It is made up of around 110 musicians from around fifty or more community bands from all over the state who are recommended by their local band directors. Every few years this band forms and performs at the State of Florida Band Directors Conference. In general, each player in the band comes from the first or second seat in their home band’s section. Through attrition, not talent, I as a three and a half year comeback player, sit in the second seat of the first trumpet section of my home band. Most of the participsnts have extended experience and are great musicians. Each piece played is chosen and conducted by different “all star” conductors from around the state.
We all got together for the first time Monday afternoon and evening. Our rehearsal lasted over 5 hours.
At 8:15 am Tuesday we met again and rehearsed until 5:00 pm with a 1 hr lunch break.
Wednesday we met at 8:15 am again and rehearsed until 12 noon including a dress rehearsal from 11:00 to 12:00. At 3:30 we started our 1 hr concert. By the start of the concert, my lip was like a piece of wood. Fortunately I was one of four people assigned second cornet / trumpet, but never the less the pieces were quite challenging.
Out of curiosity, have any of you experienced such intense sessions culminating in a high profile, high level performance without major rest? If so, was this at an amateur level, or professional level. Is this what a professional band or orchestra goes through routinely, or is this an exception. I felt very sorry for the first trumpet players, but somehow they held up and did a great job. I certainly had my problems often times could be heard playing unison with the trombones, or blowing occlusal air balls.
Never the less it was a challenging but great experience. If given the opportunity, I would do it again.

This is beyond anything I could imagine. Almost cruel and unusual punishment. The closest thing to that I ever experienced was my High School Band camp at the close of summer vacation. I pretty much set myself up for disaster, too, I admit, because I failed to keep my chops up in preparation for what I knew was in store. Marching Band practice every morning, 2 hrs, free time, lunch, more marching band, free time, supper, concert band practice in the evening, 90 minutes. My chops were like hamburger left on the barbecue too long. Then wake up the next morning to repeat the process!

SSmith1226

@Kehaulani said in Community Band:

I asked about Les because I worked with him in the past and the last I knew, he was conducting a Florida community band (a hurricane refugee from the Mississippi gulf coast).

At least two members of his “Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band” from Ocala were scheduled to participate (French Horn and Percussion).

Kehaulani

Thanks lot for the info on Les. I looked him up on the internet. Glad to know that he and Marcia are doing well.

barliman2001

@SSmith1226 Steve, you're too modest and underrating your own ability. I've sat beside you for many hours of rehearsing and performing, and you were the most reliable second trumpet I've ever had when playing in an orchestra with only two trumpet players in a sea of - let's be neutral and say, Others.

barliman2001

@BigDub I'm in again for playing at the European Folklore Festival in Bitburg, Germany, with Welsh brass band Coronation Brass. ssmith1226 knows the routine, and has gone through that; but for every one else, I'll tell of the procedure.
Every year, a scratch band is formed for this event - mostly by word of mouth and b e-mail. Then, from the four corners of the earth, around 25 people gather in Bitburg on a Friday afternoon, have a drink or two together and get handed a folder of sheet music from the Great British Brass Band Repertoire, usually containing two or three big Championship Section test pieces of the past, a couple of marches and a selection from the musical cheeseboard. And then everyone is told to don their black tie outfits and be ready to play (i.e. perform in front of an eexpectant public) within the hour, for two to three hours, and then have a go at drinking the brewery cellars empty. Next morning, after breakfast, play three minor half-hour gigs, then a big two-hour event, then another all-night open air concert... and repeat until Monday evening. In all, from Friday to Monday, Coronation Brass manages to squeeze in more or less fifteen hours performance time.
No rehearsal, just sight reading.
And the crowds love it.

Quite a number of player manage to help out in other bands while Coronation Brass is officially resting...

BigDub

@barliman2001 said in Community Band:

@BigDub I'm in again for playing at the European Folklore Festival in Bitburg, Germany, with Welsh brass band Coronation Brass. ssmith1226 knows the routine, and has gone through that; but for every one else, I'll tell of the procedure.
Every year, a scratch band is formed for this event - mostly by word of mouth and b e-mail. Then, from the four corners of the earth, around 25 people gather in Bitburg on a Friday afternoon, have a drink or two together and get handed a folder of sheet music from the Great British Brass Band Repertoire, usually containing two or three big Championship Section test pieces of the past, a couple of marches and a selection from the musical cheeseboard. And then everyone is told to don their black tie outfits and be ready to play (i.e. perform in front of an eexpectant public) within the hour, for two to three hours, and then have a go at drinking the brewery cellars empty. Next morning, after breakfast, play three minor half-hour gigs, then a big two-hour event, then another all-night open air concert... and repeat until Monday evening. In all, from Friday to Monday, Coronation Brass manages to squeeze in more or less fifteen hours performance time.
No rehearsal, just sight reading.
And the crowds love it.

Quite a number of player manage to help out in other bands while Coronation Brass is officially resting...

Very tempting, Barliman, but right at the moment getting down to South Carolina to see our granddaughter is our main concern, and we are having a lot of difficulty finding a good time for everyone!

Kehaulani

@barliman - Bitte ein Bit,

SSmith1226

@barliman2001 said in Community Band:

@BigDub I'm in again for playing at the European Folklore Festival in Bitburg, Germany, with Welsh brass band Coronation Brass. ssmith1226 knows the routine, and has gone through that; but for every one else, I'll tell of the procedure.
Every year, a scratch band is formed for this event - mostly by word of mouth and b e-mail. Then, from the four corners of the earth, around 25 people gather in Bitburg on a Friday afternoon, have a drink or two together and get handed a folder of sheet music from the Great British Brass Band Repertoire, usually containing two or three big Championship Section test pieces of the past, a couple of marches and a selection from the musical cheeseboard. And then everyone is told to don their black tie outfits and be ready to play (i.e. perform in front of an eexpectant public) within the hour, for two to three hours, and then have a go at drinking the brewery cellars empty. Next morning, after breakfast, play three minor half-hour gigs, then a big two-hour event, then another all-night open air concert... and repeat until Monday evening. In all, from Friday to Monday, Coronation Brass manages to squeeze in more or less fifteen hours performance time.
No rehearsal, just sight reading.
And the crowds love it.

Quite a number of player manage to help out in other bands while Coronation Brass is officially resting...

Everything Barliman2001 said is absolutely true, although the part where he says “meeting for a drink or two” and “drinking the brewery cellars empty” are both exaggerations, specifically under-exaggerations. Specifically first the wine cellars are emptied, then following that at 10:00 AM the beer cellars are emptied for the first time, after additional afternoon performances the free Bitburg Brewery Beer Fountain opens, after the evening performances, the beer cellars empty again, and lastly some type of schnapps gets broken out that tastes like a cherry flavored “Shlivowitz” with double the punch.

Now in all fairness, Barliman2001 does not drink alcohol, so maybe that accounts for the under-exaggeration. For the most part, I don’t either and might normally average 1 beer per month. As a result of last summer’s festival in Bitburg, my liver is still recovering

I also want to thank Barliman2001 for his kind words about me being his “wingman”, playing second trumpet on the Vienna Klezmer Orchestra Tour and second cornet with the Coronation Brass Band. I learned a lot from him and can attest that he is a great player. I appreciate his “over exaggeration” of my abilities.

Photos top to bottom:
The infamous Bitburg Beer Fountain before official drainage
Barlman2001 showing his temporary British Citizenship and participating in Official Diplomatic Relations
Barliman2001 debating the Brexit thing
Barliman2001 and I at a Coronation Brass Band Performance
SSmith1226 taking on temporary British Citizenship
Barlimsn2001 and I at a Vienna Klezmer Orchestra Rehearsal pre tour

Kehaulani

Shlivowitz. I love Shlivowitz!
Many good times with it - not that I remember.

SSmith1226

@Kehaulani said in Community Band:

Shlivowitz. I love Shlivowitz!
Many good times with it - not that I remember.

A traditional Hawaiian beverage
When I was growing up I remember my grandfather from Czarist Russia, now Lithuania, drinking it. Also when I visited Romania and Poland I was exposed to it.

Bob Pixley

I've never understood why directors punish the musicians with rehearsals right before a performance. Surely they realize they are tiring the musicians to the point that the last rehearsal is the best performance, not the concert. When faced with this dilemma, I usually sandbag during the rehearsal.

Kehaulani

I agree. I have a good director friend who routinely would have rehearsals while on the road and also the days of the concert. And he became very successful, so . . . But OTOH, I don't recall ever doing that. In my opinion, the music should be well played in and ready to go before a tour began. I would rather spend my time off around the pool.

barliman2001

@Bob-Pixley Yes, indeed... but put together a band and play for the public without a single rehearsal, with the players only getting the music and the set list an hour before performance?

Kehaulani

I don't believe that's what we're implying.

barliman2001

@Kehaulani But that is what is happening with Coronation Brass - every single year! And somehow, it works!

J. Jericho

@Bob-Pixley said in Community Band:

I've never understood why directors punish the musicians with rehearsals right before a performance. Surely they realize they are tiring the musicians to the point that the last rehearsal is the best performance, not the concert.

You have described perfectly a Big Band concert when I was in college. The director had us come in early so we could run through some spots he wasn't satisfied with. Then we went through the entire concert. Then we went through the entire concert again. Then a short break, followed by showtime! Everyone was a bit fatigued, and I was the featured soloist out in front of the band for one of the charts. I was not at my best, and the audience could hear it. After the number I took my bow and trotted back to the trumpet section so I could get there before the applause died down.

Bob Pixley

@barliman2001 said in Community Band:

@Kehaulani But that is what is happening with Coronation Brass - every single year! And somehow, it works!

It works because the musicians are good enough to pull it off and fresh enough to make it work. What if the music was passed out 3 hours in advance and the group rehearsed it from then until 15 minutes before the concert? That's the type of lip abuse I was talking about - casual musicians being rehearsed to death right up to the time of the concert. If the music isn't ready to go the day of the concert, one more rehearsal that close to the performance will probably do more harm than good.

Kehaulani

@Bob-Pixley said in Community Band:

@barliman2001 said in Community Band:

@Kehaulani But that is what is happening with Coronation Brass - every single year! And somehow, it works!

What if the music was passed out 3 hours in advance and the group rehearsed it from then until 15 minutes before the concert? That's the type of lip abuse I was talking about - casual musicians being rehearsed to death right up to the time of the concert.

Absent other extenuating circumstances, sounds to me like ineffective rehearsal technique.

You know, a good rehearsal technique not only pertains to musical preparation, but choosing a manageable program, so you don't have to have a last-minute rehearsal.

barliman2001

OK - I'm back from Bitburg, and have come back to life sufficiently to tell you about how it was this time.
Friday, 4 am: Get up, quick clean, load up the rather tiny car with three brass players, four cases and five instruments. Eight hour drive to Bitburg. Short lunch. Get music, change into informal band gear and play a two-hour gig sight reading. six hours of revelry and drinking afterwards.
Saturday: Play a 15-minute gig at the Opening of the Festival (new repertoire - all sight-reading). Help out the local band on baritone horn for their 15-min gig. Have free lunch and drinks. Play two-hour open air gig (again, not a single repeated piece). Have dinner and more drinks. Play from 8 pm until lights out at 10 (again, not a single repeated piece. Soprano player is asked whether he ever did the Penny Lane solo. Replies, no, but will try. Nails the solo perfectly, says, "I was too drunk to miss anything". More drinks until 2 pm.
Sunday, 10 am, the beer fountain opens up. Free beer for everyone for half an hour. Asked to help out local band on baritone, play a 90-minute gig with them, again sight-reading. After gig, asked to continue helping out at 2 pm. I'm a helpfu guy, so, yes. Coffee and superb rhubarb cake at local bakery. At 5 pm, play 90-minute gig with Coronation Brass (repiano cornet). 30 minutes for a quick shower and dress up in dinner jacket for Flag Ceremony. Assistant Principal already too drunk to attend. After Flag Ceremony, race back to open air stage to play from 8-10 pm. Several pieces played before!! Sop player asked to do Penny Lane again.
Drinks and revelry until 3 am.
Monday, 10-12 assistance to the local band on baritone. 2-4 pm Coronation Brass open air concert. Sop player asked to do Penny Lane again. Another round of drinks. Assistant Principal spills full bottle of red wine on white shirt and dinner jacket. Solo Horn player throws up and has hurriedly to leave the stage. First trombone changes to Eb Alto bone and plays Alto horn solo from "Malaguena". Colour Party of US Marines comes along (Bitburg has a US garrison), Bb bass player borrows officer's sword to behead a champagne bottle. Bottle crashes into thousands of splinters, champagne spilled all over Colour Party, sword has a clear dent and won't return to sheath. Rush over to Town Hall to play a one-hour gala concert there. Penny Lane as encore. Rush back to open air stage to play from 8 pm until "light too bad". Town has installed new lighting so that one COULD play all night. No pre-set programme, but pieces asked for by band members and audience. Penny Lane requested by two thirds of the band. Play until 11.30 pm, then Penny Lane as encore. Sop player celebrated as a hero, has twenty free beers shoved at him. Does not succumb (he's a Russian!). Clear up stage, dress in civvies, CELEBRATE. Beer fountain specially opened up just for Coronation Brass. Celebrate until breakfast.
Tuesday: After a late breakfast, pack up things, bundle into cars and return home (wherever that may be). For me, a twelve-hour drive home (many rests in between...)
See you next year, Bitburg!!

BigDub

@barliman2001 said in Community Band:

OK - I'm back from Bitburg, and have come back to life sufficiently to tell you about how it was this time.
Friday, 4 am: Get up, quick clean, load up the rather tiny car with three brass players, four cases and five instruments. Eight hour drive to Bitburg. Short lunch. Get music, change into informal band gear and play a two-hour gig sight reading. six hours of revelry and drinking afterwards.
Saturday: Play a 15-minute gig at the Opening of the Festival (new repertoire - all sight-reading). Help out the local band on baritone horn for their 15-min gig. Have free lunch and drinks. Play two-hour open air gig (again, not a single repeated piece). Have dinner and more drinks. Play from 8 pm until lights out at 10 (again, not a single repeated piece. Soprano player is asked whether he ever did the Penny Lane solo. Replies, no, but will try. Nails the solo perfectly, says, "I was too drunk to miss anything". More drinks until 2 pm.
Sunday, 10 am, the beer fountain opens up. Free beer for everyone for half an hour. Asked to help out local band on baritone, play a 90-minute gig with them, again sight-reading. After gig, asked to continue helping out at 2 pm. I'm a helpfu guy, so, yes. Coffee and superb rhubarb cake at local bakery. At 5 pm, play 90-minute gig with Coronation Brass (repiano cornet). 30 minutes for a quick shower and dress up in dinner jacket for Flag Ceremony. Assistant Principal already too drunk to attend. After Flag Ceremony, race back to open air stage to play from 8-10 pm. Several pieces played before!! Sop player asked to do Penny Lane again.
Drinks and revelry until 3 am.
Monday, 10-12 assistance to the local band on baritone. 2-4 pm Coronation Brass open air concert. Sop player asked to do Penny Lane again. Another round of drinks. Assistant Principal spills full bottle of red wine on white shirt and dinner jacket. Solo Horn player throws up and has hurriedly to leave the stage. First trombone changes to Eb Alto bone and plays Alto horn solo from "Malaguena". Colour Party of US Marines comes along (Bitburg has a US garrison), Bb bass player borrows officer's sword to behead a champagne bottle. Bottle crashes into thousands of splinters, champagne spilled all over Colour Party, sword has a clear dent and won't return to sheath. Rush over to Town Hall to play a one-hour gala concert there. Penny Lane as encore. Rush back to open air stage to play from 8 pm until "light too bad". Town has installed new lighting so that one COULD play all night. No pre-set programme, but pieces asked for by band members and audience. Penny Lane requested by two thirds of the band. Play until 11.30 pm, then Penny Lane as encore. Sop player celebrated as a hero, has twenty free beers shoved at him. Does not succumb (he's a Russian!). Clear up stage, dress in civvies, CELEBRATE. Beer fountain specially opened up just for Coronation Brass. Celebrate until breakfast.
Tuesday: After a late breakfast, pack up things, bundle into cars and return home (wherever that may be). For me, a twelve-hour drive home (many rests in between...)
See you next year, Bitburg!!

It was a day not without incident.