Welcome to Tewkesbury Town Band Training Band! 

Our training band exists to encourage the world to play a brass instrument [we are currently concentrating on the Tewkesbury area of the world though!!]. The band is open to anyone who wants to play a brass instrument. It doesn't matter what age you are (even 94!) or previous experience you may have.

We meet every Friday and Sunday  in the bandroom. Find Us

If you would like to have a go, then please come along and try - it's free so you cannot lose anything - only gain the amazingly positive vibes that brass playing gives out!!!

Contact Helen Walters at:
melbomusic@hotmail.co.uk

Read on to find out more about being part of the Band....

Welcome to Tewkesbury Town Band Training Band! 

If you’ve never played a note of music before…
…Then don’t worry; we’ll help you, along with Dr. Check-up in the tutor books we use, to learn how to read, play and enjoy music.

If you’ve never played a brass instrument…
…Then this is the place to come! We’ll let you try playing as many different brass instruments as we can and find the one that suits you best. Then we’ll let you take it home so that you can practise every day. If we haven’t got the instrument that you really want to play then let us know and we’ll see what we can do.  

What happens ‘in the bandroom’?
The room where brass bands regularly practise is usually called ‘the bandroom’. Your bandroom will be where the senior band practises as well.

If you are a complete beginner, then you will be given a lesson on a Friday evening. Here, you will be taught by Hadrian Walters, Helen Walters or Mark Windsor (See the Teacher’s page for more details). We use a book called Look, Listen and Learn that includes exercises, information and puzzles to help you to learn everything you need to know in order to play your instrument. It comes with a CD that has exciting backing tracks to the exercises and tunes and also you will hear another person playing your part on some tracks; these players are professional musicians and if you practise hard enough then you could sound like them too. Your lesson each week will last for 25 minutes and you will be taught individually or with a group of players of a similar standard.

On a Sunday evening we now have a beginners’ band that runs from 5:30pm until 6pm. As soon as you have learnt how to play a few notes then you will be invited to come along and play in this band. Here we have some fun learning how to play music together. The Beginner Band gives several concerts each year along with the Intermediate Band, including the Band AGM in Tewkesbury Town Hall, and at the Senior Band Christmas Concert in the Roses Theatre.

After a while, probably about 12 months although everyone is different, you will be invited to move up a group into the intermediate band. This group practises from 6pm until 7pm after your session on a Sunday and also 7:20pm until 8:30pm on a Friday. You are always welcome to stay and listen to them if you wish. In 2006 the Training Bands (*signifies the Intermediate Band only) performed at the Band AGM in Tewkesbury Town Hall, Innsworth Junior School Fete*, a Massed Bands concert in Tewkesbury Abbey, St. Catherine’s Church fete in Gloucester*, Lakeside School Fete in Up Hatherley* and the Churchdown Horticultural Society annual show*. The Band also has an annual ‘Cabaret Evening’ where players perform solo’s as well as playing as a Band. Christmas is always a busy time for the Band with carol playing, the Town Band Christmas Concerts in the Roses Theatre, the Tewkesbury Abbey Christingle Service and the Training Band’s own Christmas Concert and Party among other events.

Learning to play a brass instrument takes a lot of hard work. Then, learning to play together in the band is a whole new experience. Once you have achieved this and have become experienced at playing together, you will be invited to come along to the senior band rehearsals and eventually to join it. The senior band is a full brass band (see The Brass Band). They practise for two hours at a time, twice a week on Wednesday and Sunday evenings from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.

What will it cost?

The Training Band is open to everyone and to ensure that nobody is excluded due to cost, instrument hire is free. You can take home your instrument so that you can practise it as much as possible and possibly play with other groups, perhaps at school. All we ask is that you take very good care of it and cover the running costs of the instrument such as valve oil and other cleaning materials.

As with the instruments, you are allowed to take the tutor books home with you so you know what to practise! You should take as much care with your music as you do with your instrument so try not to let it get creased or wet. Do not squash it into your case in order to carry it as this may damage it. The books are the property of the band as well as the instruments. If you would like to keep the book then you can purchase it from us for £10.

Tuition and membership of the Training Band is also free.

In order to make your home practise effective, you may need to purchase a music stand. These are available from most music shops starting from around £10.

What next?

If you fancy coming along then please get in touch : email melbomusic@hotmail.co.uk

Welcome to Tewkesbury Town Band Training Band and I hope you enjoy making music with us.