Brecon Town Concert Band

I consider myself, very privileged to have been the Musical Director of the Band since 1995. I am not the best or worst Musical Director - the Band and I just happen to work well together. My outlook towards making music is very simple - I believe that you should enjoy making music and that there should be an element of fun as well as learning. I hope I bring this to Band each time I conduct.

My musical "career" started when I was about 5 years old, when encouraged by my grandmother, I started to learn the piano. My piano teacher didn't believe in scales and exercises - he did believe that you should attempt to play all types of music whether it was "classics"; "jazz" or "pop". He encouraged me in this belief and I try to pass this on to all musicians that I come into contact with, especially the younger ones. Anyway, after continued piano lessons, I started to get quite good, just how good I never knew as another thing my piano teacher did not believe in was "bits of papers" that told you, you'd passed an exam. Never tried any, so never had the "bits of paper". He also encouraged me to transpose my piano pieces and also put them in different time signatures and styles.

On joining Brecon Grammar School, like most of my contemporaries, was taught the recorder - again seemed to be quite good at it. First school Eisteddfod came and first prize on piano and recorder! Graduated to flute. Taught for too short a time by Sergeant Kenny from the Cwrt Y Gollen camp - a wonderful teacher, full of enthusiasm for everything musical. Encouraged to join the "town band". Did so, full of enthusiasm and left after 6 weeks. Music was in strange keys with 5 flats!!, semiquavers all over the place and ledger lines, the like of which I'd never seen before. Continued playing in school orchestra. Then one night, I happened to be watching "Top of the Pops" and lo and behold - man fronting band playing flute whilst standing on one leg! Took to playing flute like a duck to water - even better, could not only play all the music for school orchestra, but could play jazz and rock/pop thanks to all the music of the best band in the world - Jethro Tull. Didn't always go down too well with the orchestra -whilst they were tuning up, I was playing various Tull songs. Did tend to "hold Court" at lunchtimes performing Beethoven (one of my musical heroes) piano sonatas in probably a very agitated manner - helped that I had very long hair. I did discover that you don't necessarily need "bits of paper". Whilst in school was lucky enough to be taught the organ - the king of all instruments (I think that's a Beethoven quote?).

Anyway, continued through school, played in various groups and started to teach myself guitar - classical and rock - a la Blackmore. After leaving school, played in a couple of groups on bass or lead guitar and keyboard. (preferred bass and still do).

My musical "career" then went on hold for quite a few years. Saw an advert in the local paper for an orchestra that was starting up in Llandrindod Wells and they needed flute players. Took my dusty flute case to Llandrindod and sat in on a rehearsal - I didn't need to be told how bad I was. Years of neglect - tone and sight reading had almost deserted me. Rejoined "Town Band", probably for about the fourth or fifth time (every now and then had been cajouled by conductor into "coming back").

This time stayed and during my time with the band have taught myself - bassoon; trombone, Euph, EEb and BBb and a semblance of clarinet. Am Musical Director by default as no-one else wanted to do it. Again self taught and have all the bad habits that come with it - same applies to all my self taught instrument playing. Have really enjoyed my time with the band. If you'd like to join us, you'll find a very warm welcome and a Band that has a very family feel to it. We are not the best, but we all certainly enjoy making music together.