Australian Concert Bands

That's up to you Ben - you're the BOSS! (Actually my hubby started a new job and has his first AWA and we like it - he gets a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.) All I need to know are the hours needed - so I can fit it in around caring the the alpacas etc.

LOL...im a pretty easy goin bloke...12 hrs a day, 7 days a week with 30 min break for lunch

oh - and you get good friday and christmas day off.

How does that sound?!?!

O.k. by me. So long as I am working for a friendly boss - and it sure seems that way so far.

LOL

Youre hired!

Flattery will get you everywhere!

well.

i got dragged on here by ben.

i play clarinet and sax. [love the bari sax]

umm yea i play in hastings municiple concert band. i started there on clarinet but they needed some bass so i now play bari. good stuff.

been playing clarinet for 5 years and working onmy 6th grade and been play sax for 2 and a half years.

well thats all.

Dragged along?!?!

I like to think of it as a gentle push in the right direction!

Just think - someone on the forum might have a bari sax for sale lol

Hi guys.


my name's denbigh and I play horn in NWWE as well! Go us.


currently studying industrial chem at unsw (I love it when people go, "so are you at the con?" and I go, "HAHAHAH, no.")
Love band. And sport. Band will have a slight contest on its hands this season as a few of my matches are on Sundays.



gtg!
Denbigh

Hi Denbigh

Welcome to the forum, and congrats to NWWE on the win at State!

Cheers

Ben

Hello Denbigh.
Glad you have joined this forum - it's a good one. Hope you get as much enjoyment from it as I have.
Best wishes with your studies, sport and music.

Hey Bendigh you're the 3rd one of us here (so far). Where is everyone else??

See you Sunday. Hope you've got your recording chops ready!

Thanks for the welcome!


Hahah. I am going to be so wrecked. Going to see The Cat Empire tonight, tomorrow afternoon & evening(!).
SUNDAY IS GOING TO BE TERRIBLE.

Will you be "steamrolled"?

Hi all, just thought I would introduce myself.

Firstly, and try not to hold this against me but I am a string player and teacher by trade. Now that I have said that you can say all the string playing jokes you can but be aware that one part of my brain is devoted to violin teaching

But the band playing side of my brain is slightly more involved. I have been playing violin since the age of five but took up Oboe at high school at the age of 15. From this I joined the Southern Area Concert Band where I have been (for most of the time) the only oboe player. Now nearly twenty years on I am the Assistant Conductor and also Music Director of the Southern Area Training Band which I established a couple of years ago.

Further complicating things is that I took up percussion while living in country towns since oboeists are not encouraged to march, indeed I find it dangerous. I now play percussion in the SACB at times and play percussion in the Stonnington City Brass Band where I have been for the past three years. As I worked and played in country towns I kept up my membership of the SACB - next year is my twentieth year with the band.

Other bands I have been involved with include (aside from University and School Bands):

Bairnsdale Citizens Band
Albury City Band
Riverina Concert Band (Wagga Wagga) - here I rose to the rank of Assistant Conductor and Drum Major
Western Region Concert Band
Westgate Concert Band - both these western bands of Melbourne I played permit with for competitions.

So here I am and very glad to be joining this forum. A good friend of mine who now plays with the Canberra City Band referred me a link.

Jeremy

Hi Jeremy

Welcome to the forum mate!

Pardon my ignorance, what makes playing an oboe on the march dangerous? Is there any danger with the reed?

Look forward to seeing you around the forum!

bensimon wrote:Hi Jeremy

Welcome to the forum mate!

Pardon my ignorance, what makes playing an oboe on the march dangerous? Is there any danger with the reed?

Look forward to seeing you around the forum!

Yeah it is to do with Occupational Health and Safety.

As far as I have understood it, it is to do with the angle of the reed - one trip and that reed hits the top of your mouth, and not in a good way. With a bassoon (which I also play) on a march it isn't so much of a problem because the reed is at a different angle in the mouth. Added to this that march music for oboe is generally covered by clarinets and trumpets. I have met some oboeists who swear it isn't a problem to march but most band directors think nothing of putting an oboeist on side drum or cymbals when marching. While I was in the country I spent three years with the Riverina Concert Band. Each ANZAC day I played something different - cymbals then bass drum then being the Drum Major. Albury City Band were more direct with me and put me on side drum for ANZAC day and other marches. Not that I am regretting learning percussion mind you. I can see the reasons I wasn't marching with double reeds.