TubeNet

The Rockville Brass Band, formed in 1976, is always keen to recruit new players to its ranks. It is a unique sound which is one of the most exciting musical sounds ever. If you’re not familiar with playing in this type of ensemble you’re in for an unforgettable experience with the Rockville Brass Band.

The Band has around 30 brass and percussion players. It is under the baton of Nigel Horne, an English conductor steeped in the tradition of brass bands and with many years’ experience playing in and conducting brass bands of all grades.

The Rockville Brass Band is not an audition band, however you will be expected to be of a good standard. With the exception of the bass trombone and percussion parts, all parts use treble clef - even the Bb basses (which sound two octaves and a tone lower than written).

The Band plays a wide variety of genres, from marches and transcriptions of well known music to serious and demanding original works. By performing entertaining, quality concerts to audiences within the D.C. metropolitan area and beyond, we aim to be ambassadors for the sound of brass and percussion.

To give you a flavor of the glorious sound of a brass band, why not visit some of these sites?

* Black Dyke Mills Band (http://www.blackdykeband.co.uk/)
* Grimethorpe Colliery Band (http://www.grimethorpeband.com/) – the band that provided the music for the movie Brassed Off.

The Rockville Brass Band rehearses from September to June on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30, at Newport Mill Middle School, 11311 Newport Mill Rd., Kensington, MD. Our season usually consists of about 3 concerts in November and December, and approximately 4 concerts in May and June; the Gettysburg Brass Band Festival is typically our season finale.

Why not give us a trial run? We have players from as far away as Baltimore and La Plata, MD who drive far to soak up the challenging, yet fun, experience. We’re confident you’ll have a great time and we’d like to meet you. For an informal chat please call Nigel Horne, our musical director, on (301) 518-7944, or e-mail director@rockvillebrassband.org" target="_blank. And don’t forget to visit our website http://www.rockvillebrassband.org.

Must one play an Eb or BBb tuba? Does the band own any instruments?

I'm a Baltimore area professional, I only play CC and F. I'd be willing to relearn BBb, or learn Eb if either were available.

Is the ICC finished down there yet? Does that make the drive from Baltimore to Rockville a little better?

I remember doing that drive a lot of times, and it was *horrible*.

Mojo workin' wrote:Must one play an Eb or BBb tuba? Does the band own any instruments?

I'm a Baltimore area professional, I only play CC and F. I'd be willing to relearn BBb, or learn Eb if either were available.

You can indeed play either of the parts on a C or F instrument. Indeed Rockville Brass Band has a player who reads a treble clef transposing Eb part which he plays on his CC tuba.

British style brass bands have separate parts for Bb and Eb tubas which is why I mentioned them; however if you're able to transpose and/or read either of those parts on a C or F, that can work well.

Regards,

-Nigel

bort wrote:Is the ICC finished down there yet? Does that make the drive from Baltimore to Rockville a little better?

I remember doing that drive a lot of times, and it was *horrible*.

We have a couple of players who drive from the Baltimore to rehearsals, one cornet player drives from the other side of Baltimore as I understand it. Those that come from Baltimore and Columbia come down I-95 - I doubt the ICC (which isn't finished there) will improve that journey.

It's true is not the easiest drive in the world, but those players who do come from there are rarely held up because they are going against the main flow which, in the early evening, is north from DC. What time of day did you make the journey?

-Nigel

NO! As they have scorned us, we shall scorn them.

But seriously, some of the most fun low brass chairs in the world are the tubas (and bass trombone, for better or worse) in a brass band.

njh@bandsman.co.uk wrote:It's true is not the easiest drive in the world, but those players who do come from there are rarely held up because they are going against the main flow which, in the early evening, is north from DC. What time of day did you make the journey?

-Nigel

Morning mostly... guess that explains that!

Mojo workin' wrote:Must one play an Eb or BBb tuba? Does the band own any instruments?

I'm a Baltimore area professional, I only play CC and F. I'd be willing to relearn BBb, or learn Eb if either were available.

I currently play in the Rockville Brass Band and have played a CC horn in this group and the JMU Brass Band. I have played CC on Bb and Eb parts and I have played F on Eb. The Eb part does hang out in the higher register sometimes but sits in a comfortable register most of the time. Brass band Bb parts definitely have some low parts. The bottom split in a lot of brass band music has some great fat pedal tones that really help fill out the sound. But my point being, you are more then welcome to play CC or F on a Bb or Eb part.

If you don't do a lot of transposing, the transpositions may seem intimidating at first but they are not to difficult to pick up on.

If you have any other questions about the group feel free to let me know.


Cheers,
~Alex

bort wrote:Is the ICC finished down there yet? Does that make the drive from Baltimore to Rockville a little better?

I remember doing that drive a lot of times, and it was *horrible*.

The ICC is not finished yet... it is the never ending construction project...