News
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
Street Band Gathering: A National Convention for and about Street Bands
A new national event will bring together musicians, band leaders, community bands and community music practitioners to talk about the phenomenon of street bands (7, 8 and 9 May 2010). Aiming to attract both those who perform in street bands and those interested in finding out more, the purpose of the weekend is to share ideas, practice, and create a network for celebratory street band activity around the country in the lead up to 2012.
Street music has existed for thousands of years, all over the world. Street Bands have always played an important part in community and civic celebrations and events. Over the centuries they have served a multitude of functions from village celebrants to political activists. Although many traditional bands still exist in Asia, Latin America and Africa, there has been an explosion in contemporary groups forming across Europe and the US over the last twenty-five years.
2010 is an exciting time for the street band in the UK, with many new bands starting across the country, the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad offering opportunities for shared celebration and the Wider Opportunities VIP programme in schools creating ranks of budding young brass musicians.
Joining a street band can be a dynamic and rewarding way of playing in an ensemble, offering people of all ages and backgrounds and abilities the chance to take part, have fun, learn music and also contribute to the life of their community. Learning to play in a street band can develop musicians’ skills in playing from memory, improvisation, arranging and choreography, as well as exploring the music of a wealth of different cultures.
The Horns of Plenty street band from Oxford (who are co-hosting the event with Oxford Contemporary Music) formed three years ago to play their local carnival. Since then they have played over 100 performances and involved around 50 musicians – some of whom had never played an instrument before. Simon Chatterton, one of the organisers says ‘the band has been an incredible success. We have become a very important part of the local community and a key part of local festivals and events.’
The event will comprise two parts – a day of talks and presentations around street music on Friday 7th May and a weekend of practical workshops and performances on Saturday 8/Sunday 9 May.
A Joyful Noise – Fri 7th May
On the afternoon of Friday 7th May, the Gathering will focus specifically on the role of street bands in education and in the community. It will be a day largely of discussion, with community band leaders Pete Moser (More Music Morecambe) and Tim Hill (Tongues of Fire, Albion Horns and Somerset’s Outdoor Celebrations Officer) and Mary Genis (CultureMix, Cultural Olympiad Launch Coordinator in the SE and Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra). The presentations and discussions will look at the cultural context for street bands, opportunities for the future and the place of the street band in education.
Street Band Weekend – Sat 8th/Sun 9th May
The Street Band Gathering takes place at Westminster Institute of Education, Oxford from Friday 7th to Sunday 9th May. The weekend will include discussion, practical workshops and chances to play with other bands and for the public in Oxford town centre. Full details of the programme can be found at the Street Band Gathering website.
