Vacancies - can I join the band?

Like all youth bands, we are always on the lookout for new players. In common with all youth organisations, we have to wave a sad goodbye to the older players as they move to University, or to jobs, or simply reach the age where they can no longer be considered "youth"! There is always a warm welcome when they come back and see us though, or perhaps act as a deputy when a regular player is unavailable.

So, in order to keep all the seats filled, and to ensure there is always a healthy "crop" of young players ready to move into the top seats when they become vacant, we are always looking for new players. Do you play a brass band instrument? (have a look at our "So what exactly is a Brass Band" page if you aren't sure if your instrument qualifies!) Don't worry if you play a trumpet rather than a cornet, as we have a small stock of instruments we can lend if you haven't got the right instrument.

Here are a few questions that often get asked, and a few answers!

How do I join? Easy - if you play a brass band instrument, and are under19 years old, just pop along to Wilbarston village hall on a Sunday evening at 5pm together with your instrument, and you can be sure of a very warm welcome! It might perhaps be worth giving the Band Manager - Chris Hankins - a telephone call first however, as sometimes if we have been particularly busy we might have a night off! Go to our "contact us" page to find his and lots of other useful numbers.

Is there a lower age limit? No - we have had players of 9 and 10 years old join in the past! It is the player's ability not age that is important!

If I join, do I have to audition first? No - we don't expect "new joiners" to audition. You will be placed in the band according to the instrument you play, and your approximate standard. We do however hold auditions for all players in the band once or twice per year, to decide on the seating positions within the band.

Do I have to be at a particular standard before I can join? Although being at a particular grade does help (grade 3 is a useful "joining" standard), we like to welcome all players once they have mastered the basics.

What does it cost to join? Nothing! It costs nothing at all to join, but we make a small charge of £3 per rehearsal to cover the cost of the hire of the hall etc.

I love your uniform - what does it cost each player? Again, nothing! Our famous "spots & stripes" waistcoats are provided by the band - all you will need is a smart white shirt, a black shirt, and black school trousers/skirt, and black shoes.

I have heard that many brass bands take part in competitions - does Youth Brass 2000? We certainly do, and we usually do very well! There are several "high profile" youth band competitions each year that we take part in. If you take a look at our homepage, on the right hand side you will see some of our successes over recent years! Not only are these great fun to take part in, but they provide a wonderful opportunity for the band to improve its standard.

Does the band do many public concerts? Again, yes we do! Over the year, we perform at probably 4 or 5 genuinely "public" concerts, and several others that are privately booked. Our diary page gives details of the "public" concerts and contests, but there are usually quite a few others which are privately booked, and are not open to the general public.

Your website suggests the band goes on tour abroad. Our annual tour is the highlight of our year! We go usually to Europe during the school summer holidays, and have the most fantastic time! We always play 4 or 5 concerts whilst on tour, and play in some of the most amazing places! We have played in Disneyland Paris, in various town squares, at the famous Menin Gate in Ypres, Belgium, under the Eiffel Tower, Paris, and in various theme parks. We also have a great social time as well, with swimming, free time in theme parks, tenpin bowling, and lots of other things thrown in! Over the years we have visited Italy, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. This year (2008) we are off to Austria! Have a look at our "Gallery" pages to see more of us on tour!

I would love to join, but already play in other bands. Many of our players do! This is a tricky one, and is usually something for the individual player to grapple with! Experience has shown though that players joining Youth Brass quickly make it their Number One priority! Clashes with other bands need not be a problem, provided we know in advance if you are not going to be available for a particular event. We run an online "availability list" so that players can see in advance what is coming up, and can enter themselves as ok or unavailable.

I play percussion rather than brass - do you need percussionists? Yes we do! All brass bands always need several percussionists. You do need to be able to read a drum score however.

Convinced? Come along and see us - you can be sure of a warm welcome! Click here for a map showing Wilbarston village hall.