Learning Festival features four workshops

After the business of AGM, band representatives attended a Learning Festival which comprised four workshops.

Musical director Stuart Black introduced attendees to the Messanoic Method of conducting. This technique is designed to help ensembles develop a sense of togetherness in the way they respond to the music they see in front of them.

A performance masterclass was led by award-winning solo euphonium with the cooperation band, Chris Flynn.

During lunch, delegates were entertained by a quintet from the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

The third workshop provided an insight into Gift Aid by bander and financial expert Kelda McMichael and how it could be of benefit to the brass band movement.

Rounding off the day was Nicholas Garman, secretary of the Association of Brass Band Adjudicators, who spoke about the performance assessment criteria used in brass band adjudication. The session included practical exercises for delegates to write their own assessments of a couple of band performances – excerpts from Dean Goffin’s Rhapsody in Brass and Christopher Bond’s Neverland – for group discussion afterwards.

SBBA is grateful to Creative Scotland for their support in enabling the Learning Festival to take place.