Top of the brass

12:16pm Tuesday 26th February 2008

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TRINITY College of Music's week-long Brass Experience promotes music created by brass instruments.

From baroque to pop, all brass forms will be explored at the event designed to give young players the chance to network with like- minded musicians.

As well as a competition and a series of concerts, acclaimed American trumpeter Rex Richardson, who has worked with artists including Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin will be offering his expertise at a brass surgery.

Leisure catches up with Roger Argente, head of Brass Studies at Trinity College of Music, to find out more about the Brass Experience music festival

Has the popularity of brass in contemporary pop and rock music (bands such as Arcade Fire and the Rumble Strips for example) had any influence on the take up of brass, or even the sounds which your students develop?

Yes, our students tend to be very interested in contemporary bands but also in improvisation and collaboration with different art forms, working with film, dance and electronics.

How popular is brass studies at Trinity?

Brass Studies is very popular at Trinity. We have around 60 students (the college has a total of about 600) and the standard of people applying to the college is getting higher and higher. Several years ago I was involved in the national Endangered Species youth music project encouraging children to take up instruments not many people were playing, which included the tuba, French horn and trombone.

I was the trombone ambassador. A lot of schools and music services got involved in the scheme which made funds available to buy these instruments. It's paid dividends - the trombone has become so popular that it's been taken off the endangered list and at Trinity we can now see these players coming up through the College.

Can you tell us anything interesting about innovative brass sounds and modern trends in the performance of brass instruments? Are Trinity bands developing anything exciting at the moment?

Come along to Trinity College of Music Brass Massive 2008 on the February 28 (7.30pm at Blackheath Halls) and see for yourself.

It's a celebration of brass playing with school children, students and world renowned artists performing some fantastic new compositions. Trinity lecturers Oren Marshall (tuba) Gene Calderazzo (drums) and Chris Batchelor (trumpet) have collaborated with students to create an electronic based brass work which promises to be an eye-opener. Collaboration is a really big thing for our students. Next term the Trinity Composition department and London Film School are involved in a joint project and we're really excited to see how it develops.

How keen are students to work on the classical elements of performance (baroque for example) compared with more popular sounds?

There's a real mixture of interests within the department. I like our students to experience working with period brass instruments like natural trumpets and sackbuts (early trombones). This festival is focused more on cutting-edge composition and education, although classical brass fans should try and catch the Lucerne Chamber Brass recital on February 26 at 1.05pm in the stunning Old Royal Naval College Chapel - a concert of classical brass and Swiss folk music.

How far does this event go to teach audiences about brass and show its range?

Brass Routes (February 27, 7pm, Blackheath Halls) is particularly aimed at inspiring and getting new people to play brass instruments. It includes performances from Greenwich and Lewisham school children who have created their own music through Trinity's Raising the Roof schools' programme. If you want to be inspired and motivated to see what's possible, come along and see the cutting edge of music education in a brass band setting. The Thursday night concert (Trinity College of Music Brass Massive 2008) will be an off the wall, eclectic brass experience.

What can you tell me about the brass surgery? Are students excited by this and what sort of queries do they intend to share?

American trumpeter Rex Richardson is our artist in residence for the festival. He's worked with the likes of Benny Carter, Ray Charles, Kurt Elling, Carl Fontana, Aretha Franklin, Jimmy Owens and Gerald Wilson and is professor of trumpet and jazz trumpet at Virginia Commonwealth University in the USA. He'll be running a brass surgery - an open door policy so Trinity students can drop in at any point during the festival and talk to him. They're looking forward to seeing him immensely. They'll be asking technical questions as well as talking about improvisation and life as a performer.

The Brass Experience, Feb 25 to 29. Various venues throughout Greenwich. Call 020 8305 4439.