INTERESTING TO BANDSMEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7923, 30 January 1904, Page 6

INTERESTING TO BANDSMEN.

"There is a general agreement amongst contest, trainers that the great want of the ago amongst brass bandsmen is 'Private Tuition.' They complain that many boys of promise are ruined in the early stages of their baud dayß foy being allowed to drift along just as they like and; to find out things for themselves. The consequences are that they form bad habits of blowing, holding and fingering their instruments, and form an embouchure wherelit will never allow them to become good pflayers. They learn to read music, without being able to explain it, and cannot tell the scale of 8.---flat from a bull's foot- No proper founda^ tion has been lead, and in consequence the superstructure must of necessity be weak. -; xiii beginners should take ' private lessons and have everything explained to them line by line, and thus become musicians." " Every good bandsman is jealous of- his band's reputation, and will be careful not to do anything that will be likely to injure its good* name.- At: contests and-engage-ments and all other p_blic appearances of the band it is his duty to keep .sober and clean, and to behave as ai gentleman. '! am only a workingman when I am at work, but when I am with the band I am a, gentleman.' That is what' the good bandsman 6ays. He dresses J as well and as neatly as his means will allow, and all who know the band have respect for that one man. Are you that man?" i ' "The way to make » solo interesting.tolisten to is to study where the melody demands a nuance, which. note 9 call' for "exceptional accents, and where the pace may be slightly forced, aod where the reactionsets in, where a little light may be thrown in, and where a shadow is required. -But be careful not to go to extremes; exagger-J ation'.is just" as great a fault as tameness. In all good playing there is a continual ebb and flow of light and shade. The delicate little tints that are not marked, and\annot ; be marked,, in the copy — little ' sighs,' 'whispers,' 'asides,' 'confessions,' or 'protestations,' as in lively conversation."