Young brass players recently made the trip to Glenrothes to enjoy the fantastic opportunity of being coached by Yamaha Performance Artist Katrina Marzella.

Packed day

Musicians from Fife, West Lothian and Inverclyde benefitted from a packed day of music making organised in conjunction with the Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA), Yamaha, Band Supplies and Tullis Russell Mills Youth Band.

It saw Katrina offer tips and advice during a series of interactive lessons and masterclasses on topics including breathing and practice routines, whilst she also shared her own playing experiences with the likes of Black Dyke to the star struck youngsters.

Amazing youngsters

Katrina told 4BR "It was a great day working with Tullis Russell Mills Youth Band and everyone who travelled to Glenrothes. The youngsters were so receptive and I was so impressed with their work ethic and the amazing progress they made."

She added: "We managed to pack in so many activities including a solo recital, a masterclass with players, a practice advice session and full band rehearsals — and each aspect proved a huge success."

I'm now looking forward to hearing about the players ongoing development and successes in the future. Huge thanks go to Band Supplies and Yamaha for making it all possible."

Busy weekend

The workshop rounded off a busy weekend for Katrina, who also adjudicated the West of Scotland Solo & Ensemble Championships in Kilmarnock. It marked a return to Scotland for the Black Dyke star, a former principal baritone player with the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland (NYBBS).

The youngsters were so receptive and I was so impressed with their work ethic and the amazing progress they madeKatrina Marzella

Memory

Alan Douglas, project officer with the Scottish Brass Band Association, told 4BR: "We were delighted to welcome Katrina to Fife to work with the young musicians.

For them to be able to link up with such an inspirational player was fantastic. Events like these live long in the memory and help to inspire the next generation of young brass players in Scotland."