Launch of Coatbridge Concert Brass!
On the evening of Thursday 24 March, a new youth brass band came into being in the North Lanarkshire town of Coatbridge, to the east of Glasgow. Coatbridge Concert Brass has been established through a unique partnership between the local community and the NHS, with the support of the Scottish Brass Band Association (SBBA).
The Kirkshaws Neighbourhood Centre was the location for the first gathering of this enterprise, in which 48 children aged between nine and twelve were put through their paces by Jim Smith, Head of Brass for North Lanarkshire. After 18 months of preparation, a 32 week pilot scheme has been launched with support from SBBA and the NHS Lanarkshire Engagement Fund.
The prime musical motivator of Coatbridge Concert Brass is Jim Smith, who received the SBBA President's Award for his achievements in the brass band movement in Scotland at last month's Scottish Brass Band Championships. He has long been aware of the lack of brass band opportunities in North Lanarkshire, as he explained: "There used to be lots of brass bands in North Lanarkshire, mining bands and town bands. There's nothing left now. In 1980, when I was employed as an instrumental music teacher, I built the Monklands Youth Brass Band. I'm now Head of Brass in the area and I see the statistics that there we now only have 13 young cornet players in North Lanarkshire, but over 600 trumpeters playing concert bands. Brass bands have always been a part of my life and I've been itching to try and do something."
The opportunity came about through a chance meeting with Paul Campbell, Coatbridge Health Improvement Senior Manager, NHS Lanarkshire, who was building projects that could link into NHS policies of lifelong learning and Scottish Education's curriculum for excellence. Jim Smith continued: "Paul Campbell was looking for ways of ensuring the mental health and well-being of children and households. I mentioned the idea of building a youth band, or a centre where young people can develop all aspects of music. I was also encouraged by the work of SBBA Youth Development Officer, Alan Edmond, in building youth bands all over Scotland."
SBBA is funded by the Scottish Government's Youth Music Initiative to create new bands in areas where none currently exist, as its President George Burt explained: "We've developed a 'Brass Band Starter Pack', which provides funding and other musical and organisational support to a new band committee so that it can get organised, buy instruments and music and engage tutors and conductors. This is a perfect example of hiw it works. The NHS involvement is a new feature we're sure will be taken up in other parts of the country."
Kirkshaws Project Manager, Willie McBride, is enthusiastic about the initiative: "We at the Kirkshaws Neighbourhood Centre were delighted when we were approached by Paul Campbell to look at hosting a music project, which quickly gained momentum with the involvement of Jim Smith. I have no doubt that with the support already on offer from partners, Coatbridge Concert Brass will grow in stature to provide children and young people from the Coatbridge and surrounding areas wonderful musical experience and an opportunity to develop as successful learners and confident individuals, who can make an effective contribution to the community."
