NABBA Rule Change for Youth Section

[P.J.]

The North American Brass Band Association has added a Youth Open Section so that youth bands with non-traditional brass band instrumentation can compete.

Any thoughts?

[Steve Marcus]

What youth brass bands are there in the US? The only ones with which I am familiar already conform to traditional British brass band instrumentation:

All-Star Bands of Columbus

Cincinnati Honor Brass Band

Georgia Youth Brass Band: new ensemble (recently publicized on this website?) derived from the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra (NOT from the Georgia Brass Band itself)

Triangle Youth Brass Band

Remember, youth concert bands/wind ensembles/drum corps don't count in this particular listing.

[P.J.]

I think the idea is that to help encourage new brass bands they can enter the open section until they can afford to get 3 tenors, 1 flugel to baritones, 9 cornets and a sop.

What the new Georgia Youth band has done is amazing by getting all of those instruments at once. However, this may help from a practical perspective of bands slowly converting to the proper format.

I think it seems like an experiment with good intentions, but I'd rather wait about 3 or 4 years to see how it actually works before making a judgement.

[Steve Marcus]

NABBA already has had an adult "Open" Section for bands that do not meet traditional British brass Band instrumentation. This allows a fledgling organization to participate while observing the other bands that DO have traditional BB instrumentation. Then when that band has the decision, funding, etc. to convert to British BB instrumentation, they can enter the appropriate Section.

Interesting enough, if River City BB were an amateur (unpaid) band, they'd have to enter the Open Section with their current instrumentation.

[iiipopes]

All I know is that around where I live, no one, and I mean no one knows what a tenor horn is. It gets worse. I talked to a guy last week who is an area retired band director who went to college with my dad (@1958). He truly did not know what Besson low brass was, what their reputation was, or what the big deal about their euphoniums (meaning the comp valve system) was, or why anyone would even want one.

There is still a LOT of education to be done....

[TonyTuba]

I will chime in on this as it was my proposal to NABBA. Bear in mind that we are talking about youth bands, not adult bands, and the challenges inherent in getting one started. The costs are very high to match the strict british instrumentation which is, in my opinion, the main reason we do not have a wealth of youth brass bands in the USA. We have had success here in the Triangle with the youth band being an offspring of an already established adult band, yet this is a rareity rather than the norm. Cincinnati is in the same situation. Simply put, most bands struggle to keep their own product together and spending funds to buy kids horns is not a priority. this, despite the fact that the future will be determined by the youth growing into the activity. not criticizing, here, just giving some background. I certainly understand the plights of the bands.

NABBA should be in the forefront of making brass banding more accessible, and I think they realize that when talking about kids, getting them started should be more important than making sure they are playing the proper horn. Having an open section can help to get bands together and coming to NABBA and exposing them to the possibilties that the medium can do. After they get hooked, they can use the building entusiasm to raise the money to adhere to the british instrumentation. The motivation is not currently there. This also makes it easier for schools to form groups and bring them. I had some contact with a school band in Georgia that might be able to use this as a stepping stone to gain entusiasm for this.

The River City Youth Brass band has been in exsistence for 20 years or so and has never made an appearance at NABBA because they can not meet the intrumentation requirement. I won't get into an argument about philosophy and why/why not go strictly british, but it is what they choose, or can afford to do. Simply put, they are providing their people with a great activity. now they can come to NABBA and maybe the powers that be may want to investigate making changes. Whether they do or not, is up to them. its a step in the right direction.

I am very happy that the Atlanta area is gaining a brass band. If it goes as planned (advertised), it will not be a youth band according to NABBA rules (18 and under, enrolled in a secondary institution). If they go to NABBA, they would be in the same boat as the All Star Brass and Percussion, which is fantastic.

The timing is right, as we here at TYBB are starting a second band this season because of growing enthusiasm. We can not afford to start this band with british instrumentation at the start, which meant that they could not experience a NABBA. It my seem selfish that this rule comes into play at the same time as we could make use of it, but I really do believe that it will help all brass banding get on board with the youth players. Kids love this activity, if you get them started in it.

In summary, the rule should leave open the possibility for the formation and participation of more youth bands. Get ém comin, then get ém on tenor horns. this is a good thing.

[TonyTuba]

What youth brass bands are there in the US? The only ones with which I am familiar already conform to traditional British brass band instrumentation:

All-Star Bands of Columbus

Cincinnati Honor Brass Band

Georgia Youth Brass Band: new ensemble (recently publicized on this website?) derived from the Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra (NOT from the Georgia Brass Band itself)

Triangle Youth Brass Band

Remember, youth concert bands/wind ensembles/drum corps don't count in this particular listing.

Add:

River City Youth Brass Band- Non British style (50 + players)
Various Salvation Army Youth brass bands
Collegiate brassbands: North Texas, Illinios, JMU, NC State.
Alan C Pope HS- non traditional- 2 bands = 60 players

I am hopeful that more school bands will add a brass band component to their school programs. It is excellent training for brass players. get them to NABBA then help them become traditional british style.

[Chuck(G)]

In my experience, at least for the low brass voices, the problem is not one of learning instrumentation but rather of wanting to make the effort of learning to read transposing notation. That's why you'll typically see BBb and CC tubas on the Eb bass part but few on the Bb bass part.

At least that's the case in the adult brass band here. For an upcoming concert, I'm giving up my Eb tuba (the only one in the band) so I can play the Bb parts (the only one doing so). There's a large BBb and a CC on the Eb bass parts which not only makes the guy narrating the instrument introduction a liar, but sounds just plain wrong.

There's a lot to be said for appropriate instrumentation.

[windshieldbug]

There's a lot to be said for appropriate instrumentation.

How about just for the inclusion of optional local custom (non-transposed bass) parts?

[Chuck(G)]

There's a lot to be said for appropriate instrumentation.

How about just for the inclusion of optional local custom (non-transposed bass) parts?

Try ordering a set of BB parts from a UK dealer and see what you get. Of course, one of the affected people could take the incentive and transcribe the bass parts, but heck, that'd be harder than learning new fingerings, wouldn't it? Isn't it enough that they (sometimes) show up at rehearsals?

[windshieldbug]

There's a large BBb and a CC on the Eb bass parts which not only makes the guy narrating the instrument introduction a liar, but sounds just plain wrong.

Doesn't BB stand for BAT Band?

[P.J.]

Alan C Pope HS- non traditional- 2 bands = 60 players

that reminds me...anybody know whatever happened to Gettysburgh HS brass band?

[iiipopes]

Speaking of non-traditional instrumentation -- try using a clarinet for the sop part and saxophones for the saxhorn parts (alto sax for tenor horn, & tenor sax for bari horn), as I have to do here in "never heard of such a horn" country!