The 7th National Australia Brass Festival has gained critical media acclaim by helping to boost global educational tuition and mentoring to the country’s community based brass band musicians.

Ground breaking

At the ground breaking event held in Melbourne recently, players were able to utilise the talents of three icons of the banding world in Sheona White, Philippe Schwartz and Stale Sleire Johansen (above), who were international guests of Adrienne, Lady Stewart and the Academy Mentor Programme (AMP).

Instigated by the National Australia Brass Academy in 2012, AMP aims to deliver world class educational tuition and mentorship to members of the National Youth Brass Band and recipients of the Adrienne, Lady Stewart Performance Bursary programme.

New generations

As part of the long term commitment to developing new generations of talented Australian players, Norwegian tuba soloist Stale Sleire Johansen also spent a month working with over 150 community brass band musicians while on his east coast tour of the country sponsored by Geneva Brass Australasia.

He told 4BR: "The Global Academy Project (GAP) is an exciting educational programme.

It provides an incredible opportunity as international soloists to be involved with not just performing but also working with the amazing young talent from within the National Australia Brass Academy."

Remarkable

He added: "There are some remarkable young musicians studying on the Academy mentor programme here in Australia, and it has been a real pleasure to be able to work with them in such an innovative way."

There are some remarkable young musicians studying on the Academy mentor programme here in Australia, and it has been a real pleasure to be able to work with them in such an innovative wayStale Sleire Johansen

Mentorship

National Australia Brass Youth Band cornet tutor Maureen Cameron added: "Stale’s visit to Cairns has provided our community of brass musicians with amazing mentorship and inspiration, not only through his incredible talent as a performer but also through his insightful teaching skills.

We are most grateful to the National Australia Brass Academy and Geneva Brass Australasia for providing Cairns with fantastic opportunity to be part of the ground breaking Global Academy Project."