Preparing For A Brass Band Contest

The preparation for a brass band contest usually begins for me as soon as the test piece for that particular contest has been announced. 

I believe that research and preparation is key to understanding a piece of music and so prior to getting a score I undertake some research into a particular piece of music which tries to explore the reason why the particular piece of music was written, when it was written and who the piece of music was written for. I then try to understand what the piece of music is about in a bigger context for example was the piece of music written for a particular event or was the piece of music written to explore a particular theme or story. I also try to establish what style of piece this is for example is it a transcription of a classical work or is the piece a set of variations or written in a Fast / Slow / Fast style. I also try to dig a little deeper into the composer who has written the piece and his background as well as trying to understand music that has been written before and after the particular work that has been selected as a test piece. I finally try to find a recording of the piece of music to explore the elements which make up this particular test piece paying particular attention to the potential challenges of the music, soloists featured in the music and the overall set up of the piece of music for example does the piece has a quiet start or does it have a really technical section of the piece. 

A big resource for me is looking at the Brass Band results website to see where the piece has been used and for what contests and also how the piece has been used by bands in the past.  

A few weeks later, I usually receive the score for the test piece and initially get two copies of the score with the first score becoming my working score. 

The aim of a working score is to have every single bit of information and details available to me at a glance and not only supports me to prepare rehearsals but also helps to give my eye a quick point of reference. 

The first thing I do with a working score is use a highlighter to mark every single performance direction,  tempo marking, key signature, time signature, dynamic marking, accent marking and type of accents making the distinction in the dictation of different accents in the same bar. The process of highlighting each aspect of the music enables me to start identifying common themes for example when looking through dynamic markings I may identify common points where the band is at the same dynamic and will therefore need balancing or I may identify that part of the band have a different dynamic to another part of the band which will require some attention. 

I must be remembered that each highlighter is colour coded so for example a yellow highlighter is used for all the performance direction and tempo markings and a red colour is used for all dynamics (I sometimes use different colours for crescendo's and diminuendo's). It is sometimes interesting to use certain colours to try and bring a specific thought or emotion to the forefront of my mind and there is some research that suggests we associate different colours with different emotional states. 

I find that marking a score in this way enhances the learning process and enables me to look deeper into a piece of music from an analytical perspective. There are often times when using this method that you find little hidden patterns within the music or discover a specific rhythm which may have been glossed over without this attention to detail.  

It is during this stage that I often start to identify potential errors in the score which will need a solution and start to use the score to identify solutions for example looking at other similar parts to identify what they have or looking for similar repeated pattens.  

After I have marked my score, I go through the score and written an appropriate translation for each Italian performance direction and when appropriate I write all tempo markings into their relative crotchet beat tempo's for example a dotted minim being 80 becomes a crotchet speed of 180. 

It is during this point that I start to explore difficult technical aspects of the work for example working out appropriate breathing marks or alternative fingerings for a tricky technical passage or perhaps even cutting down parts to ensure a clarity exists within the music. 

I then start to divide the test piece to into rehearsal phrase markings which will form the initial building blocks of guiding the band through a test piece. It is in these phrases that the melody, counter melody, driving rhythms and bass line will be identified to support with balancing. There are occasions where extra rehearsal markings will be added. 

Once this initial preparation is done, I will take a scan of the score and ensure every member of the band has a copy of the score so when they receive the piece they can adapt the markings on my score onto their own individual parts.  

I usually follow this up with a photograph of an A4 sheet of paper which outlines the full piece of music on one A4 sheet of paper which shows important aspects of the piece, tempo markings, dynamic markings, points where soloists play as well as ralls and other important information. This can help individual member of the band to start to form a geographical memory picture of the test piece.  

Where appropriate, I will send a recording of the piece of music to the band so they can have a prior listen to the music. 

At this stage, I usually start to play through each of the parts identifying where the individual technical challenges lie as well as potential solutions. I then identify some collective rhythms that everyone in the band will need to play as well as the main tunes and solo melodies and the tricky technical challenges from the piece and create a video recording for the band to support them to have a video recording of the correct rhythms, potential ways to phrase tunes and solo lines and also to reduce the test piece to some of its key components.  

This recording is followed up with a video recording of each of the tempo markings in the piece of music so people can start to get used to the different tempo's within the piece of music. 

The above process in a simpler form:

1. Research background context, story, style and previous use of the test piece and age of test piece.  

2. Research composer of music - what styles do they write in, what musical language do they use, what pieces were written before and after the piece that you will be working on. 

3. Score preparation - highlighting performance direction, time signatures, key signatures, tempo markings, change of time signatures, accents, identifying tricky passages, solo lines and potential errata. 

4. Overall picture - using the working score and an A4 piece of paper put the full piece of music and its structure onto one piece of paper so you can see the geographical picture of a test piece at a glance. 

5. Video recording of the technical challenges of the piece, melody lines, solo lines, tricky technical aspects of the piece and difficult rhythms.

6. Video recording of every tempo in the piece.  

All this preparation is done before the band rehearses the test piece for the first time.   

When rehearsing a band on a test piece for the first time. I like to run the piece in its entirety to give each individual member of the band an over picture of the piece as well as some initial ideas to potential challenges and pitfalls featured within the music. I usually identify and work on some tricky technical rhythms or collective rhythms before moving on with the rehearsal and when revisiting a piece of music, I often spent a little more time on the piece to increase focus and concentration on the piece. 

At this stage, I start to factor in and speak with the band about what an adjudicator will be looking for in a piece of music. The Association of Brass Band Adjudicators provide a copy of Performance Assessment Criteria to each of their adjudicators which cover the following points:

1. Fundamental Requirements -  accuracy (note values, pitch and rhythm), precision of ensemble, balance, blend of tonal qualities of soloists and ensemble, tuning and intonation, control, pitch and dynamics. 

2. Musicianship - consistency of band sound, use and range of dynamics, control and use of vibrato, phrasing, expression and musical shape, convincing soloists (control, style and shape), effective communication of composers score. 

3. Score Reading - accuracy of score reading, interpretation, tempo relative to style, tempo relative to technical ability, shape, delivery and impact, communication and commitment.  

4. Performance Related Aspects - soloists (assurance, delivery and errors), accompaniments (security and empathy), anxiety (nerves and impact upon fundamental aspects), ensemble mishaps (breakdowns and recovery).

5. Inspirational Qualities - exceptional communication with the listener, exceptional interpretive insight of score, exceptional quality of performance, query perceived aspects of the performance that detract from fundamental aspect of performance. 

When adjudicating, quite a number of adjudicators have their own methods which enable them to score and place bands within the right place and understanding the challenges that face adjudicators can often support musical directors to shape their performances in a way that will resonate and have impact with the adjudicators within the box. 

As a band gets closer to a contest, it is important to promote confidence and there are a couple of techniques which a musical director can use which includes:

1. Full or multiple performances of the given test piece - this enables every player in the band to become familiar with the overall geography of the piece of music and will enable them to get used to putting into place and delivering the individual requirements of their performance within the context of that performance. 

2. Recorded performances and written feedback - providing notes and full written feedback along with a rehearsal recording can support the band to gain a wider perspective of what is required of them during a performance and how it may be listened to by an adjudicator. This approach also supports the band to see how their live performances are directly impacting the following rehearsals and allows the band to see their own progression towards a contest. 

3. Performance Anxiety - performance anxiety is often never discussed prior to a performance and then following a performance there can be lots of comments such as  "I felt nervous on stage". It is important to discuss what performance anxiety looks like and strategies for coping with performance anxiety way in advance of a performance to allow people to consider their own physical and mental signs of performance anxiety and potential strategies for supporting them to cope with performance anxiety.

4. Visualisation - getting each member of the band to visualise their own approach to the contest stage, how will they feel when they wake up in the morning, when may their nerves start to kick in, what will it look like on the stage and visualising this performance can support towards coping with external factors that can affect an overall performance. 

In conclusion, preparation is key to a performance but consistency is the key to success.