4BR downunder | comments

Why bother Naming a Band?; Congratulations; Dreams in a Lifetime; Not in My Lifetime; Got Anything Better to Do?; What Makes a Top Band; 4BRDU Very Brave; More omissions; No Matthew?!; 4BRDU Band of the Year; Daunting but possible; and more...

Note:
We will not print anonymous letters and we will not print your email address 4barsrest has a responsibility to inform our readers of our opinions concerning the many topics of the banding world we cover, and we are proud that we give the opportunity for people to comment with their thoughts about certain topics (including contest results). However, we are very clear that these comments are those of the individual who has written them, and in no way do they indicate that 4br agrees with the sentiments, observations or perceived injustices that are highlighted in them. We will continue to inform and report to our readers, and will give our own opinions and thoughts. We will also continue to give the opportunity to others to do the same, but by allowing people to air their opinions does not, and will not mean that they reflect in any way the responsible and informed opinion that we ourselves hold.

Of course people are going to be jealous or not understand reasons behind choice.

I think it's a top band and could put it to every band in the world, but that's my opinion which many people would disagree with.

I haven't had the opportunity to hear nor play near Colin Burrows but if it comes any more natural to Matthew McGeachin he'd be tagged a freak.

All of this indicates that bandies are only happy with at least 3 people behind the screen.

I think the band for 2007 looks extremely strong - congratulations to all of those people who have been nominated.

Euphos look very solid. My only inclusion would be Paul Paul Gunning on bass from Hawthorn but on occasions like this, there are always going to be those who miss out.

Keep up the good work 4barsrest.

If the debate the inconsistency in registrations in a contesting environment that doesn't stop at the border, which I believe is the common issue, grows into a positive and fruitful discussion about how we should develop our movement to encourage its sustainability then we should be nurturing that growth with good fertiliser and diligent pruning and repotting. (bit of the Chauncey Gardener here)

Okay, enough of the waxing lyrical, there are far better qualified people who run the nursery to manage this.

Perhaps not totally level Chris, but perhaps some of the kinks will be taken out. And you have a lifetime as president of the VBL to see it.

Kathy Clark (not a green thumb in sight)

In response to Kathy Clark's post about her son, Colin is an outstanding musician and you should be very proud of him, hence your defence of him.

Yes, the 2007 Nationals were nine months ago. Does this mean that anything in the past is not worthy of comment?

Yes, the registration list was accepted at the Nationals. If the QBA allowed Colin to be registered with Brisbane Excelsior, knowing that he was concurrently registered with Woolston Brass (and please don't tell me they didn't), then the Nationals contest administrators had no option but to accept the registration list that included Colin as a bona fide member of Brisbane Excelsior.

Colin is, in this instance, merely a case in point. Please don't take my comments personally.

The notion of a level playing field will never be achieved whilst band associations create conditions that provide their member bands with advantages over bands affiliated with other associations. Concurrent
registration with more than one band (anywhere) in the same category (i.e. senior brass, junior brass, etc) needs to be banned to solve this part of the level playing field aim.

It is a real problem, by the way. Not just a meaty topic for discussion over a beer at the end of band rehearsal. Allowing concurrent registration enables bands to register any player from another band
(anywhere in the world) without affecting their home band registration. The result is that bands with superior financial resources can buy a win. Did Colin contribute to the win by Brisbane Excelsior in Ivanhoe? You bet he did.he is an awesome player. Would the band have won without him? I don't know.and before anyone pursues the sour grapes line, I'm merely debating the issue.

With regards to actually achieving a level playing field - it won't happen in my lifetime!

Chris Bowman
Melbourne

Did the Australian Nationals Registrar accept the Brisbane Excelsior registration list? I believe they did.

4barsrestDU state they are following any particular set of registrations? I believe they don't.

Does the player in question have the credentials to make the team? Well I won't comment on that on the grounds that a) I could be accused of bias and b) more importantly, it wasn't my decision to make.

The 2007 Australian Nationals were some months ago. Nine in fact.

I think it's safe to say in this instance that the correct band has been named. If Excelsior or Woolston had a problem you can bet your last dollar they would have said so.

Enjoy the fact we have so many fine talented musicians.

Please, can we move on and start actually reforming our registration system rather than just bringing up the past at every opportunity.

My vote for Janet Carey to be seconded to the NBCA to work on this very important project.

As well as the obvious need for a certain level of talent all around, I think it is the unique combination of MD and players, and the relationship they have at all levels (willingness to work, commitment, faith in each other, enjoying each others company, mutual respect and support), that makes a really top band.

That all sets up the ability of the MD to S T R E T C H the talent of the group beyond their normal limits. With all this in place, an outstanding MD can extract extraordinary results from good players.

The two most important elements are:
1. the ability of the MD to create and direct an exciting vision of the music, and
2. the ability of the team to work together, live the final performance together, achieve the vision, and all come away equally ecstatic with the outcome.

This all really has little to do with a mechanical grouping of the best solo players of the day with the leading MD of the day.

It would be an interesting experiment to form such a band next year and have it practice and compete against the "real" bands in Oz and NZ. I reckon it would not do all that well, because the players' hearts would be with their home bands, and not the artificially constructed 4BRDU band of the year.

Not meant as a criticism, just an observation of the nature of what makes a high class band tick.

Phil Anderton
Bb Bass
Gunnedah Shire Brass Band

I think 4barsrestDU are very brave in putting together a "Band of the year" list. But it is a good way to get people submitting to the comments section.

Since 2000 and even before, I have had experience in putting together actual composite bands, and let me tell you it can be a very difficult process. Whenever a list is put together a number of criteria have to be taken into account.

Playing ability, style, previous contributions, work ethic and personality just to name a few. Egos being what they are, there is no doubt that someone will get there nose out of joint somewhere along the way. I have been fortunate enough not to experience too much.

A few years ago I came to the realisation that it was possible to put together two equal standard bands just from within the NSW ranks. When putting together Pacific Brass for the Roger Webster tour a few years ago, it became very clear that NSW is placed with a number of very fine players. When you take the whole of Australia and New Zealand into account, it is clear that 4barsrest would have to have a band of 150 players to acknowledge those who achieve great things.

For those who have made the cut on the 4barsrestDU and for 2007, congratulations!! No doubt you deserve to be there!

I do agree with Marcus and Bruce, Matt Van Emmerik's omission was a huge surprise to me.

Bruce's comments on Colin Burrows are totally justified. Over the past 40 years, I have been very fortunate to sit inches away from some of the finest Bass Trombone players going around. I currently sit in close proximity to Colin in Warringah Concert Brass and the only way I can describe his playing is awesome!!

One highly respected professional trombonist describes Colin as " the most naturally gifted bass trombonist" he has ever heard.

Maybe in future years there could be a panel of five people each presenting their "band of the year" that way we may see more people noted for their achievements.

When names are duplicated, it will give a good indication of those players who have really kicked some goals.

You tell them Marcus. What an excellent letter. I agree with everything you've written. You beat me to it!!

The other notable omission was Colin Burrows (Warringah Brass) who is a highly sought after freelance bass trombonist in Sydney. This guy is a freak and nobody came near him at Nationals 2007. His playing in English Heritage was phenomenal and I still remember it. Matthew McGeachin is a good player but Colin is in a different league.

On a different note, Chris Bowman tactily raises the issue of a level playing field in his comment. Indeed, Colin Clark was registered with Brisbane Excelsior for the 2007 Australian Nationals and yes, the QBA does allow players to be registered with more than one senior brass band under certain conditions. So I suppose that the BBANZ must see their rules as only applying within New Zealand. Thus New Zealand rule 7.3b that "all playing members of a band shall not be on the list of playing members of any other band" is to be read with the addition "within New Zealand".

Conversely, some Australian state banding authorities with similar "one band only" clauses have ruled that they are to be interpreted "one band within the world". Just another example of the bumps in the playing field.

In an earlier comment, Janet Carey lay out a possible pathway for change. Janet's plan would work, but an even quicker way for change is for an individual to submit a proposal through their NBCA representative.

This is the first time i have written to anything like this but I thought it important enough an issue.

I am writing about the omission of Matt Van Emerick from the band of the year list. I work with the bloke but this has nothing to do with favouritism. I would have thought he would have been the first name to be read out let alone in the eupho section! How could he not be here?!?!

I hear you out there say that there are hundreds of people who could be here but miss out there are few brass players that have achieved what Matt has this year. National champion and National champion of champions of australia ( I thought this would have been enough); Principal with Kew band who have had a great year in Australia and New Zealand; he has just completed his masters of music performance at the sydney conservatorium and I think will be going for his PhD next year, all on eupho - and he is waving the brass band flag while he is there; performed at the Melbourne International Festival of brass as a clinician and soloist and I know he has just recorded a CD of Helen Johnston solos with the Kew band; he has worked with various professional orchestras around Australia and New Zealand on euphonium.

All this and I know he has big stuff in the pipeline for 2008 here and overseas, all on eupho.

I'm sure I have missed stuff here (and I'm sure he will tell me!).

I would like to see someone match that and still have time to conduct top nsw band Waratah.

4BRDU Reply:
Thanks for your comments, Marcus. We are more than aware of Matt's individual achievements this year on the solo platform - and we congratulate him for these.

I thought Colin Clark was registered with Brisbane Excelsior. He certainly was for the 2007 Australian Nationals. Perhaps the QBA and BBANZ allow players to be registered with more than one senior brass band?

Daunting perhaps, but possible…I think so.

As with anything, I think that what would take is a few dedicated bandspeople around Australia to initiate and draft a set of regulations for National Contests. I certainly agree that the states should have their own guidelines and rules to suit their unique situations, however I believe that there should be one set of rules for National contests.

The process to me seems fairly straightforward:
1.      each state has a representative to put a proposal to their state body along the lines of…in collaboration with the other states work to develop a draft set of regulations for the purposes of National competition for submission to the NBCA.
2.      Designated state reps meet to discuss/debate and prepare draft regulations (this of course is the hard part!)
3.      Draft regulations are submitted to State bodies for endorsement, along with the proposal that they then be presented for consideration by the NBCA.
4.      Once endorsed by the States (or 5 out of 6 of them…) draft regulations are submitted to the NBCA. Given that the required number of states has already demonstrated their approval for the rules, the only way from here seems to be forward.
5.      If steps 1 or 3 fail, continue to lobby state body for change!

By no means do I think this would be an easy or quick process, but I think it is time to seriously consider the National contest and giving every band the greatest (and equal) opportunity to put their best band on stage on the day. Perhaps picking out a few of the “hot” topics, such as those mentioned in the editorial, would be a good place to start.

Janet Carey
Adelaide

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

If Sun Tzu were attending the Australian Nationals, he would exploit all means possible to gain an advantage. He would research his opponents, analyse their weaknesses and know his own strengths.

The number one rule is deception. In the eyes of Sun Tzu, there is no level playing field.

The Australian Nationals Contest Regulations address some elements of registration, but not all. It is virtually impossible for the Regulations to incorporate all variations that apply to bands potentially competing at the Australian Nationals. This could include entries from each State of Australia, as well as New Zealand, Japan and other countries.

Having said that, State Associations determine their own unique contesting environment, including registration. Within the context of their own environment, these unique registration requirements suit that environment. It is only when environments cross over that problems arise, such as the Nationals.

The Nationals Contest Regulations should either be completely silent on registration or all-encompassing. There is no middle ground.

2007 December