connloyalist

I am a member of a community band here in the Netherlands, a Dutch style "Fanfare", which is more or less a cross between a concert band and a brass band: full set of brass, trumpets, trombones, euphoniums, tuba's (basses) French horns and Eb cornet; no woodwinds except saxophones, soprano through baritone and flugelhorns replace clarinets so ideally you have 9-12 flugelhorns with 3 or 4 to a part.

Some of us decided we would like to start a big band from the members of this community band. This would be within the community band, so no problem at all. It looks like we have all the instruments pretty much taken care of. Our baritone saxophone player is in (we only have one bari after all), one of the euphonium players also plays electric bass guitar, and one of the bass tuba players plays pretty good piano.

However, it looks like the thing won't get off the ground: only one trumpet player (me). One has other commitments on the day we would rehearse, on doesn't feel like it, one doesn't have time, etc.

We even had the idea of maybe having flugelhorn players fill in a gap or two, but three gaps.... too much. Moreover, I can't handle 1st trumpet, so you would have a flugel on 1st as well. Although really the point is moot because I doubt we could convince three flugel players to sit in. Keep in mind that these are flugel players who grew up on the instrument and in most cases have never played a trumpet in their lives.

We have even contacted some former trumpet playing band members. No luck.

I never realized trumpet players were in such short supply!

Regards, Christine

rowuk

Christine,
try and get a pro (like TMs Erik Veldkamp) to do a clinic. You would be surprised how that can motivate players with 80% interest. I'll bet that the trumpet AND flugel players would develop some interest!!!!
Robin

Richard Oliver

Yes!

And make sure you have a classy looking evaluation form upon which they can evaluate the clinic with space for Name, addy, phone #, email, etc