Band Chagrin...

[barliman2001]

I am pi$$ed off.
Totally.
What happened?
Several years back, I joined a British Brass Band somewhere in Austria (location on request), and was put on Sop. I was very ok with that - until someone else came and wanted to play sop (without any brass band experience). Without being asked, I was put onto 1st baritone. Still was sometimes asked to sub for the sop. But usually was shifted around between both baritones and both euphs, according to rehearsal needs. Then, they returned me to sop. Ok.
A few weeks later, the band held a three-day training camp far off in the mountains (four hours' drive). And somehow, they forgot to take all the sop music. So I was there, without music and without another instrument to revert to. I left the camp.
For another year, I was shifted around, never knowing which instrument I was going to play before the rehearsal. A very unsettling experience - so I left the band.
A year later, they approached me and asked me whether I would like to play flugelhorn (my dream instrument) with them, and assured me that I would be able to hold that seat for as long as I wished. OK. I rejoined.
Three months later, on arrival at a rehearsal. I was told to switch to repiano cornet. Someone else had taken the flugel chair. And for a year or so, I did that job. Reliably.
And only yesterday they sent a message in band WhatsApp group announcing that someone else was taking the repiano chair. Someone without much experience in the brass band world.
No mention of any further role for me in that band.
I am the more pi$$ed off because I brought several good, reliable players into the band, organized fundraising events for them and even sold some of my cornets to band members who only had trumpets, at ridiculous prices (such as a fully restored, silver plated Besson International for € 300), just to get the cornet section properly kitted out...
Seems they want me to leave.
But then, some of them are already hankering after their former oompah band outlay with clarinets, and the new conductor has no brass band experience whatsoever - by training, he is a choir master and does not himself play any brass instrument - and has been putting on big band and film music repertoire...
Unfortunately, the nearest British Brass Band around is some 200 miles away...

[Dale Proctor]

Sorry to hear how they treated you. I can empathize with you, since I was moved around on trumpet seats in a local semi-professional symphony orchestra years ago to make room for someone who didn’t really want to be there. I had to re-audition for my seat (3rd trumpet), which had never happened to anyone, and “lost” to the reluctant player, who was a jazz player. There were 3 judges at the audition, and two told me privately they had voted for me. So, I became 4th trumpet and rarely got to play.

The few union members of the orchestra, one of which was my replacement, went on strike for more money, and I was notified I’d be playing 3rd part in the next concert. With the assurance I would play the concert even if the strike was settled beforehand, I played all the rehearsals. The strike was settled about a week before the concert and guess what…I was replaced with the striker.

Summer came and as was the norm, I was contacted by the symphony manager, along with everyone else, to confirm we would be back for the next season, and I affirmed I would. The next season rolled around and I wasn’t notified I’d be playing the first concert, so as usual, there was no 4th part. I ran into the 1st trumpet at a restaurant a month or two later and he asked why I didn’t play the concert. It seems they played a piece that also required off stage trumpets, and local high school kids were hired to play those parts.

The symphony personnel manager received my scathing resignation letter a few days later, and I’m sorry I stuck around as long as I did.

[Kehaulani 0]

Please excuse my bluntness but you, over a great period of time, showed that you were willing to accommodate such behavior from your conductor/section leader. You set up a pattern of aquesing, yourself, to them. So, for them, it's second nature to move you around where they feel you are needed the most. It's kind of a play on that old American expression, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me".

If you resented this, did you ever have a sit-down heart-to-heart talk with your supervisors and let them know how you feel?

And now, you have an added dimensinon, that of a choral guy taking over a BBB (how did that happen?).

This may be a bummer or it may be a great oportunity to put things back on course, in your favour. Have you made a sincere attempt to help the new director in how to handle the band's, and your, needs? Maybe here is a golden opportunity.

[barliman2001]

@Kehaulani-0 Yes to your question, "Did you bring it up?" Yes, I did - several times. First time when they forgot to bring music for me. Second time when they invited me onto flugel. I asked them, "will I be able to hold on to that chair?" and their reply was, "yes, indefinitely, as long as you like." As a result, I had a friend of mine - the composer Philip R. Buttall - make an arrangement of his Eclogue for Flugelhorn (one of my favourite pieces, and one that was composed for me and is dedicated to me) for brass band and presented it to the band, at my own expense.
Not two months later, they shoved me onto repiano (four weeks before a concert, which I greatly resented). I told them I would not like another instance of such behaviour.
As to the new conductor... the former conductor is a professional trumpet player with many years in a renowned German brass band under his belt. When he resigned (and was relegated to Bb bass), I several times told the Committee that the new guy should be someone with brass band experience and that I knew someone who could adequately fill that role. Next thing I knew was the Committee's announcement about the new conductor (the chor guy).
Still, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and even offered my help - I even bought more suitable sheet music and donated it to the band.
Since then - almost year - not single one of these pieces has been even looked at, and my offers of explaining the true nature of brass bands to the new MD were declined... and when I offered to take on the MD's job myself, I was rejected as "not experienced enough."
It's true, I don't have a glittering diploma; but I have been playing in brass bands for over 35 years now and have conducted quite a few, usually with fair success - amongst others, there are two Irish bands that were on the brink of dissolution when I was asked to take over, and they are now alive and kicking. And having attended conducting masterclasses with Roger Payne, Phil McCann and Derek Broadbent might possibly be thought more appropriate for being a brass band conductor than having studied choir leading and recorder at a conservatory...
But then, the band is an official Scouts' band, and both the band president (who took over on flugelhorn) and the new conductor are Scouts... and I never was...

[Kehaulani 0]

What are you options, playing wise?

[barliman2001]

@Kehaulani-0 I have my two inclusive Autistic music groups - www.auti-group-web.de and Soundtistics, sponsoring members always welcome!
But there is nothing around even slightly approaching a brass band - the only thing I tried out was a wind band specializing on movie music, called Filmharmonie Wien; but as they rehearse in a location without assured parking, I had to abandon that idea (since my stroke in November 2023 I am dependent on two crutches; and my Autism prevents me from getting public transport, quite apart from the fact that I would need to walk about half a mile with two crutches and a big gig bag...).
All the other bands around are traditional Austrian oompah bands who require a lot of marching and the wearing of traditional Austrian costume - and I have had my fill of that. Quite apart, the usual round of waltz - march - polka tends to get tedious...

[Kehaulani 0]

Sorry that your options are limited. Good luck.