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Post by trmbboy on Nov 6, 2005 15:00:53 GMT
Recently my band has been looking at getting new uniforms to match our sponsors new colours. This has started some what of a debate! Half the band wants jackets and the other half waist coats? Just thought I’d ask what the general view on this was? And who do you think has the best uniforms?
Personally for myself I prefer Jackets and think Kirky's jackets look great on stage!
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Post by pjaye on Nov 6, 2005 15:19:16 GMT
We have the waistcoats for on stage and they leave you alot cooler. But we have the jackets for walking around. Personally I prefer the waistcoats for the above reason and as well as that they do look quite effective... I think. Or at least thats whats meant to happen
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Post by princess on Nov 6, 2005 21:27:34 GMT
Jackets are more traditional brass band. BUT.....it depends...what colours are your new sponsors? lol
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Post by craigs on Nov 6, 2005 21:59:37 GMT
We have the waistcoats for on stage and they leave you alot cooler. But we have the jackets for walking around. Personally I prefer the waistcoats for the above reason and as well as that they do look quite effective... I think. Or at least thats whats meant to happen Yup, I agree. The band looks pretty smart in their waistcoats, with the added advantage that you are alot cooler on stage.
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souter
Mezzo forte
"He uses music as an accompaniment to his conducting" - Oscar Levant 1965
Posts: 61
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Post by souter on Nov 7, 2005 10:57:22 GMT
Personally I think it depends on what type of engagements you do.
We have jackets as most of our engagements are either on the March at local festivals or outside concerts.
For our indoor concerts we normally wear our jackets for the first half and remove them for the second half. This has two purposes - one it gets rather warm under the lights and secondly we have different sponsors for different uniform items - therefore on our shirt sleeves we have an embroidered badge of our shirt sponsor. We also have two polo shirts both sponsored by different companies - blue for general use and white for hot summer engagements.
So for us the jacket is preferrable but as I said above I think it depends on the type of engagements that the band primarily undertakes.
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megga
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Post by megga on Nov 10, 2005 14:49:10 GMT
Sounds like your band's got the uniform situation well sorted there Allan. All these sponsors! How do you manage it? Maybe you could give us at Kingdom some tips?
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Post by trmbboy on Nov 10, 2005 16:20:49 GMT
Yeah come on Allan pass out your secret!
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souter
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"He uses music as an accompaniment to his conducting" - Oscar Levant 1965
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Post by souter on Nov 11, 2005 9:41:07 GMT
We just have a very active committee and we don't set unreasonable prices. We also found a bit of a snowball effect - we are on occasion offered monies by the various organisations in the town so when the Fleshers (Association of Meat workers - i.e butchers, fishmongers etc) approached us with a cash offer rather than put this into general funds we decided, with their blessing, to purchase a new set of white shirts (2 for every member of the band). The shirts have Selkirk Silver embroidered on one sleeve and the association badge embroidered on the other sleeve. In the past the association has purchased instruments (which are always engraved with their logo) and helped wth the financing of other band items. Anyway, this led to us being approached by two other companies who each sponsored the different polo shirts - same arrangement. We also have 3 big concerts a year which are always sponsored by a different local company - we charge £150 for each concert and for this they get a table at the concert seating 8 plus all advertising for our concerts include the sponsors name.
It also helps that the town is fiercley proud of the music tradition in the town - all the 3 bands, us the pipe band and the flute band all benefit financially from the generousity of the town.
I don't know if this applies to other towns or not - but as Selkirk is a Royal Burgh the town actually has land belonging to it. Hence all the monies from the rent of the land (farms, pylons etc) goes into a central pot which is overseen by the councillors in the town and each year the surpluses are distributed to good causes in the town. We got allocated £3k this year to finance our CD (quick plug - available via the website). In the past it went towards our part of our lottery grant, financed the purchase of the band hall, paid for the commissioning of an overture based on the songs of the town, paid for our last lot of jackets etc. It is worth checking to see if your town has a similar scheme.
Hope this is of help.
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megga
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Post by megga on Nov 11, 2005 10:25:28 GMT
It also helps that the town is fiercley proud of the music tradition in the town - all the 3 bands, us the pipe band and the flute band all benefit financially from the generousity of the town. I think this point is the most relevant. You're extremely fortunate to live in a town who's population are only too pleased to support not just one band but three! I very much doubt if much more than 5% of the population of Cowdenbeath - Kingdom's home town - are even aware that the town has a band.
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Post by bruceg on Nov 11, 2005 10:28:21 GMT
I very much doubt if much more than 5% of the population of Cowdenbeath - Kingdom's home town - are even aware that the town has a band. Gotta get out there and promote the band within the town I guess Craig.
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megga
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Post by megga on Nov 11, 2005 11:24:45 GMT
Gotta get out there and promote the band within the town I guess Craig. Not just now Bruce...I'm too tired ;D
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Post by trmbboy on Nov 11, 2005 12:51:59 GMT
Sounds like a very sound plan, unfortunatly we are in a completely different situation where we have one main sponcer. The uniform situation just has to reflect the colours of the mill which are a dark red and dark blue.
Selkirk could teach the rest of us a few thing by the sounds of it!
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souter
Mezzo forte
"He uses music as an accompaniment to his conducting" - Oscar Levant 1965
Posts: 61
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Post by souter on Nov 11, 2005 13:56:15 GMT
The best band to get tips from are Jedforest - they are well sorted financially. Would love to learn some of their secrets!
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Post by euphantastic on Nov 11, 2005 15:16:32 GMT
Near on 40'000 people live in Glenrothes, and i'm sure just like What Craig said, most people won't be aware of the town having a brass band. In his case Cowdengelly This is a major problem for the banding movement in Fife anyway. We (trmb) , play more concerts in the surrounding area than ever before.This does help, and it gives us a bit of good P.R. Another thing that could be done, is to get your band in your local rag more. even if it is just to say.new players have signed, a contest result, up and coming youngsters in the band,concerts that the band will be doing. etc etc. This is one of the ways we can get the word out , so to speak.
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Post by lauradoll on Nov 12, 2005 9:04:53 GMT
We have a massive turn out for our concerts when we do them in the village because we do a lot of work promoting the band in the community. Because we are sponsored by a local company, the company's press officer is also responsible for our publicity so we do quite well on that side of things. I think also, because we rehearse in a venue where lots of other things go on, we manage to interest the people who use the centre. We are in a very enviable situation really.
We all have made-to-measure uniforms (apart from walking out trousers)- stage and walking outs, complete with psychadelic patterned tie. Is it purple or yellow or both!!!
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