160 aspiring conductors ‘pick up the baton’
9th February 2021
On Tuesday 26 January, the Brass Band Conductors’ Association (BBCA) led their latest webinar in conjunction with Brass Bands England titled ‘Picking Up the Baton’, viewed on the evening by over 160 people on Zoom and social media.
North of England representative David Thornton led the presentation by defining the role of the conductor – to provide clarity, knowledge, communication, confidence, people management and to be a good listener. David’s presentation went on to give suggestions on how to create opportunities to conduct. This section featured a fascinating discussion with James Holt on the preparation of a rehearsal and score.
Scotland representative Stuart Black gave basic insight into how to approach the baton, demonstrating beat patterns, basic technique and coordination exercises. Geraint Barnes, BBCA representative for Wales, shared his positive experience of the organisation’s mentoring scheme in providing a support network to build relationships with fellow brass band conductors.
Executive committee members and the rest of the regional representatives were also on hand throughout the evening to share their experiences of how they got into brass band conducting and to conclude the webinar with a Q&A. The BBCA ‘Picking Up the Baton’ webinar can be viewed in full on Facebook.
Want to find out more? Get in touch with your BBCA regional representative. Contact details can be found on the BBE website: bbe.org.uk/national-association-brass-band-conductors/bbca-executive
To join the BBCA go to bbe.org.uk/join-us. Annual membership is £44 and includes individual membership of BBE, one professional Enhanced DBS check, access to insurance deals, and discounts to BBCA events. For more information email member@bbe.org.uk.
