Brass Teacher

9 years

My Grandparents were both good musicians (both sang in the Welsh National Opera in its early days) and encouraged me to take up the piano. I eventually got recruited onto the Baritone Horn by my first teacher in year 4, which I stayed on until year 7 at which point a rather unsavory character decided to 'wreck' my Baritone by kicking it out of my hands, causing the instrument to fall out of the case and go clattering across the school yard... Cue a call by the Head of Music to the local brass band (who he conducted) and within hours a rather beaten and tatty 1940s Tuba (with no case) arrived at school and I was called to the music dept. to try it out... I fell in love with it immediately and the rest, as they say, is history. The look on my Gran's face when I walked through the door with an instrument, which at that point, was bigger than me, will stay with me forever!

In very sad circumstances unfortunately... I was contacted after my predecessor Richard Elliot passed away. I was most aware that I had some very big shoes to fill. I had been asked by Richard a number of times to dep prior to this, so I had obviously made an impression on the Trombone section who asked me to come in initially temporarily. Before I knew it, a 'blue card' was in my hands and I was a subs paying member.

Hard to choose one as there have been a lot of amazing moments. If I had to choose though, it would probably have to be either Mahler 8 at Symphony Hall, or Das Rheingold at Symphony Hall.

Not many thankfully... Although falling off the stage into a set of timpanis at the Severn Theatre deserves mention... Also, feeling my Tuba become gradually unplayable about 3 pieces into a film music concert in 2019 and coming to the terrible realisation that my valve guide had broken... I managed to keep the valve in place until the end of "here they come" Luckily I was Tacet in "The Cantina Band" (giving me about 4 mins to sort it) and was able to dash off stage to grab a spare guide from my bag... Cue frantic filing to get it to fit properly, reassembling the valve and then popping everything back in place... I managed to get it fixed though and only missed the first 4 notes of "Back to the Future"... Suffice it to say, I maintain my valves much better these days!

Favourite composer - Gustav Mahler

Least favourite - both Johann Strauss senior and younger

Mahler 3 and 6

R Strauss - Ein Heldenleben

Nielsen 4

Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet (whole ballet, not just highlights)