La Saint-Clair is a neighborhood association which exists since 1886! The music is present since 1908.
Like many bands, the last decade has been difficult and wihtout a musci school to avoid a natural turnover, the number of members has declined to almost disappear. For example the last practice before I tooke the place has been canceled as there was not enough people!
Conducting a band is a experience I had never tried!
I even bought a baton (well, not a Maestro's 150€ one) and I'm thinking about a tailcoat for concerts.
More than give the tempo, the conductor must happen to have musicality, intentions, feelings. Of course you'll have to adjust the pieces (a band without bassoon neither a horn is not really a band) so I spend a lot of time on arrangements even if I choose to keep pieces played in recent years.
My mission in more than musical. I started with a stable... 7 musicians group I have to rebuild a descent band, to re-brand both internally (the band is one section through others) and external (to save a place in the local orchestras landscape).
To prevent a full but not-prepared concert I choose to substitute with a show and an event. Two dates are in preparation (it feels like emergency): a show with an actor around puppets and an event with the screening of a film and we playing before. To be seen in the coming monthes.
Launching myself in this adventure with one goal: revitalise my curriculum! After all, being a conductor is being a leader! Fifteen persons to hold with a stick!
And it already allowed me to remember another musical band I saved a few years ago and for which I'd taken absolutely no glory.
In fact I'm in Amfifanfare, the band of the University of Nantes since the first day. I'm not the founder and I've never been its President but I've be part of the all-first practice and the all-first public play. I've been a reinforcement for the first two years when the President (or the "leader") was asking for me. Then I became a regular member for the third season. The last play before the summer has been played with 25 musicians. But 3 years are a study cycle and a lot of musicians quitted for working, for other study, for other country...
All the officers were going out! So no one has taken responsability for the band and I'm the one who saved the project in late August. To late for some appointments we missed (such as forum for assications of the university where we could recruit) but we get up our courage.
We were 7 in the first play after the summertime! Certainly not the same energy than 25 (and not all of these 7 were part of the 25)!
I had a "pro-activ" approach by organizing strong communication (video publishing, updating MySpace -don't laugh at me, once upon a time...- networking with other local bands), searching dates, accepting almost all when it could offer us network, fame or even just to have a good image in the institutions and other bands! I do remember a 5-poor-souls-play for a rowing competition. Yes, we are able to play well with only 5 instruments (2 clarinets, 1 banjo, 1 T-bone, 1 trumpet)!
I organized a workshop before our rebirth play in November. Durin a break I held a meetin I had prepared with myself, a General Assembly without the name, and after the debates on what we all wanted to do with the band I adked to debate about the administrative office and I went out to let "young" talking. I've been surprised to see unanimous President Secretary and Treasurer in less than 10 minutes!
I worked with them a few monthes to help them, to organize the dates for example (I still have been a long time the identified contact for a lot of prospects and bands) and let them manage the baby step by step.
Since then Amfifanfare traveled to Serbjia, invited internaitonal artists for its 5th anniversary, won all prices in Chinon's Competition, plays more than 30 dates a year, including a summer tour (last year in southern France and next year in Romania)...
I'm not the one who made Amfifanfare what it is today but I do have participated to this, and wihtout me there wouldn't have been more Amfifanfare. It's an experience I could have sold long ago, but it reappeared to me only when I decided to save the band of La Saint-Clair.
Hoping it will succeed as well as Amfifanfare, even with different context and structure. A success you would see on this blog!
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