As part of its 20th birthday celebrations this year, the Sheldon Theatre Brass Band of Red Wing, Minnesota, is reaching out to school band directors to help them learn about brass banding.

Booth

The STBB hosted a booth at the Minnesota Music Educators Association’s Mid-Winter Clinic in February, showing band directors video of the band in performance and giving them a chance to try playing soprano cornet, tenor horn, and baritone horn – instruments many of them had never seen before.

Four page brochure

The STBB has also sent a four-page brochure to over 200 high school and middle school band directors in Minnesota and Wisconsin to help them teach their students about brass banding.

The brochure includes general background about brass bands, information about the STBB, and resources for the director who might like to show students what a British-style brass band sounds like or even start a brass band.

In the United States, students typically begin playing wind band instruments in 4th or 5th grade and never learn about the British brass band genreSheldon Theatre Band

Fill a gap

Dr. Glen Newton, outreach project leader, told 4BR: "In the United States, students typically begin playing wind band instruments in 4th or 5th grade and never learn about the British brass band genre. We hope that the brochure we created and sent to band directors near Red Wing will help fill that gap in their education."

Although the brochure is primary directed at Midwestern USA band directors, others who might be interested can request a free copy in PDF form by emailing glennewton@comcast.net.