Performance Anxiety: 4 Bars Rest Hits the Spot

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Brass, English Brass Academy, Horn, Paul Archibald, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba

Even the best suffer performance anxiety…

On Sunday June 8 2014 I’m organising an Introduction to Managing Performance Anxiety course on behalf of the English Brass Academy at Putney High School. It should be a great couple of sessions as I’ve invited Andy Evans, himself a musician but also one of the UK’s top performance psychologists, to talk about this delicate subject.

I spoke to Iwan Fox, editor of 4 Bars Rest, the world’s most popular website for brass band news, about this topic and he, wisely, linked the whole area of performance anxiety amongst musicians to football and footballers. You can read his article here:

http://www.4barsrest.com/news/detail.asp?id=18727#.U41ceNq9KSM

As the World Cup in Brazil is only a few weeks away I suppose we’re all bracing ourselves for the inevitable penalty shoot out in which England seems to constantly embroil itself and, of course, we know the outcome is usually bad news for our poor fellas. I get the impression that football is a macho type of game and these guys really don’t talk about getting ‘the pearlies’ just before they take that shot before 2 billion people.

Maybe musicians are the same. We feel we need to be ‘bullet proof’ that, as professional musicians we need to be above all that. I recently sat on the examination panel for a final recital at a music college and my colleague on the panel, yes – an academic – castigated the poor girl for being nervous. You see – it’s perceived as unacceptable for musicians to be worried or show apprehension. It’s seen as a weakness. Perhaps its the same in football.

Well, I’m hoping that the Introduction to Managing Performance Anxiety will help highlight this problem for many musicians and Andy Evans is certainly a guy who knows his stuff. If you want more information about the event take a look at the English Brass Academy website at:

http://englishbrassacademy.co.uk/locationhome.php?location=7

The session commences bright and early at 9.00am. There’ll be coffee and nibbles and it’ll be a relaxed, informal day in a supportive atmosphere. Look forward to seeing you on Sunday…

 

Some People Are Just So Talented….

We occasionally hear about astonishing talented virtuosi. Our brass band fraternity seems to produce them quite regularly. But Emily White is different. Not only is she right at the top of the contemporary and early music scene as a trombonist she also happens to be one of our leading baroque violinists. As a member of English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble – 12 discs have won awards so far – she has played for productions in Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and performs regularly with our top ensembles such as the Academy of Ancient Music and BBC National Orchestra of Wales. She’s worked with Paul McCartney and appeared on Eastenders. Quite an eclectic career so far but it doesn’t end there. Emily has also played modern and period violin in productions at the Globe Theatre and recently organised a chamber series that included classical string and wind chamber music, sackbut and cornet ensemble, Early strings and countertenor plus a modern Brass quintet. I told you she was different…
As a teacher Emily’s credentials are impeccable. She is guest professor of sackbut at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and is the Early Brass Coach at Trinity College of Music. She is a regular member of the English Brass Acadeny team so I’m fortunate to see first hand her inspirational teaching methods and the transforming effect she has on her stidents. I’m delighted that Emily is joining us for our Boot Camp. She really is a one off….

My Year as a Euphonium Player

Brass Band Boot Camp June 6-8 2014.

• English Brass Academy
• Brass Band Boot Camp June 6-8 2014
• Putney High School, London
• englishbrassacademy.co.uk

There’s no doubt about it, David Thornton can certainly play the euphonium. His CV is as impressive as it gets and you can check him out on youtube and CDs. You’ll be mpressed. Funnily enough, I played euphonium for a year when I was a kid.

Now, let’s be honest, my band at the time, Parkhead Citadel Salvation Army Band was no Black Dyke or Brighouse & Rastrick but we could hack out a neat and tidy march such as Star Lake or even fumble our way through Treasures from Tchaikovsky. It wasn’t the music that was the problem, it was whether the band survived playing an open air service each Sunday in what was just about the roughest part of Glasgow. Home to Celtic Football Club, if you didn’t wear green you were fair game. My problems were compounded by being the only English kid (I was 11) in the local school. Fortunately, my best friend was a tough nut and
no one messed with him. Back to the band and my sidekick on euphonium could play high, fast and loud. But the bandmaster loved me because I could outdo him with the vibrato so lesson learned – keep it sweet and you’ll make friends.

A year later and we’d moved onto to Eccles Citadel and my reputation on euphonium was such that that it was decided that my talents might be best suited to the tenor horn. Ah well….

Now David can play high, loud, fast and sweet and he’s a top teacher too with RNCM, Huddersfield Uni and Chet’s under his belt. Now if I’d met someone like him when I was eleven maybe I’d be principal euph in Brighouse now….

Brass Band Boot Camp June 6-8 2014. Some thoughts…

English Brass Academy
Brass Band Boot Camp June 6-8 2014
Putney High School, London

Organising the Brass Band Boot Camp course, working alongside Sheona White (tenor horn) and David Thornton (euphonium), for English Brass Academy has made me think Having started life as a tenor horn player at the age of 5 in Lye Citadel YP Band too may years ago I willingly immersed myself into the life of the ‘bander’. I loved it! Just about every night was spent at the Sally Army Hall – my parents were Salvation Army officers and my brother John was equally consumed with the banding bug – we couldn’t get enough of it! Lye Citadel was a small corps so everyone chipped in. I picked up my tenor horn from the YP Bandleader’s house who put the fingering under the first hymn tune. He made sure I could blow the thing and that was it. Straight to band practice and I learned by jumping in the deep end. Aged 5 I was in the band! It was the one and only lesson I was to receive, apart from my Dad helpfully reminding me about split notes, until I was 17…

Hearing both Sheona and David play as effortlessly they do, the consummate artistry they possess, the ease with which they navigate the most difficult passages has reminded me of the wonderful heritage that we now carry on within the banding fraternity. This uniquely British institution, equally important in its musical, social and holistic strands, has tranformed my life. I am sure it transformed Sheona and David’s life too.

When I spoke to both Sheona and David they couldn’t have been more willing to participate in the Boot Camp.These legends of the brass world loved the idea of giving back. In spite of the fame and glory they enjoy they love engaging with musicians. They love performing and mixing with other ‘banders’. They want to play their part in carrying on this wonderful tradition of banding and to help others to achieve their personal ambitions.

It’s a priviledge for me to work with both Sheona and David. I’m looking forward to this course. It has special personal overtones for me and I really hope you’ll come along and work with these two incredible performers. It could change your life as it did mine all those years ago at Lye Citadel.
http://englishbrassacademy.co.uk/locationhome.php?location=6

Interview on Brass Band Radio Talk Live

I really enjoyed talking about English Brass Academy projects and Regent Brass on brassbandradiotalklive.com the other evening. It was a really fun programme and is a must if, like me you’re a real brass band enthusiast.

Brass Band Radio Talk Live is the first Internet Live talk show for Brass Band discussions and it broadcasts on the Wednesdays between 8.00-9.00pm GMT. The radio station broadcasts 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You can tune in now to catch up on their last live show. Alternatively, you can get involved, send your comments for discussion.the station would be pleased to hear from you about your events, vacancies and anything Brass Band related.

A reminder of the website: brassbandradiotalklive

English Brass Academy Wellington School Easter Course 2014

Four days of glorious weather, a group of very talented young musicians, some very experienced tutors, excellent facilities, all under the care of Eileen Carney-Jones, our wonderful Pastoral Care Lead and NHS Nurse Practitioner. The Easter course was a memorable experience with some superb music -making by our Brass Works and Brass Studio players and, let’s not forget the hard work put in by our Grade 5 theory class who completed the course and sat the examination on the final day.

The week was memorable, not just because of the hard work on the part of musicians and tutors but also because of the impromptu community work we were able to do during the week. Eileen organised things so that the ensembles were able to perform at the local cottage hospital in Wellington and to perform on the High Street to a very appreciative audience! In addition to this these fine young musicians raised nearly £100 for the local hospice as a result of their talent and hard work!

As usual our course was a lovely mix of playing, activities, socialising and relaxing together and the feedback received was a pleasure to read. Here are a few examples:

‘When we went busking and played James Bond with the older kids – and people thinking I was 8 ( was quite funny actually)’

‘The opportunity to play a wide range of chamber music and to play it out in the town – and the Cake in the evenings’

‘I most enjoyed going out busking and raising money for the local charity’

‘Being rehearsed to a high standard in order to produce the best possible performance’

‘The tutors were amazing musicians and incredible teachers. I learnt so much! They were also really fun’

‘all lovely people who were very well informed. Wonderful stories of enchanted tree from Edd. I think we,ve done the tree proud :)’

‘Very helpful and kind’

My thanks to all our young musicians for being so positive and contributing to a really fine course and to all the tutors for the experience, wisdom and talent that they were able to share. As always, a special thank you to our course ‘mum’ Eileen who was as patient, caring and thoughtful as always.

Looking forward to the next time!

Paul Archibald