Finding my Feet | Wonderbrass 25

Description

Wonderbrass are an internationally acclaimed 25 piece Soul, Funk, Ska, Latin, Jazz juggernaut -- a danceaholic wall of sound -- a kick-ass brass tidal wave -- unmissable!!!!!; Wonderbrass formed in 1992 as a community street band from Pontypridd South Wales. Today they are bigger, bolder and brassier (pun intended) than ever before. Under the expert leadership of instrumentalist and composer Rob Smith and drummer extraordinaire Mark O'Connor, Wonderbrass are constantly evolving and exploring new musical challenges.

Video transcript: 'Well, the first rehearsal was at the BBC Studios and it was nerve-wracking to say the least. I was absolutely petrified because I had no idea what to expect. I knew no-one. I just remember thinking, "Oh, my God!".  It was so different to anything I'd ever done. I sat in the car waiting, looking for instrument cases. It was really nice, everyone was great and was like, "Come and play." I was really shy and didn't want to even get up and have a go."There's a couple more. Come on, you've got to go." '

'I walked in and was like,"Are you Wonderbrass?" "Yeah, come and join us."It was just really friendly. As soon as I did I was hooked. I was straight back the next week and that was nearly twenty years ago. I settled in, had a giggle and I was like, "This is good fun."I went home absolutely buzzing.

'When I started, Wonderbrass practised at the Hollybush in Pontypridd. Kind of in the back room of a pub. It was a funny, long room with lots of columns in the middle so everyone was split up. I remember going to get a drink and sitting at the side. And I was like, "This is good fun” I didn't bring my saxophone in from the car. I was like, "I'm just going to watch and see if I can do it." '

'At first it was really intimidating. My first ever practice with them, I didn't even bring my keyboard because there were so many people, so I just decided I'd suss it out. Since I've got into the Groove it's become a lot easier. It's made me grow in ways I couldn't even have imagined, as a musician.'

'But then I remember everybody in the break being really keen and interested. "Go on, you've brought your instrument, you might as well go and get it. " '

'It's that Wonderbrass camaraderie and friendship. Everyone was like, "Just do it, it's fine." I walked in and I was like,"Woah, all these people are so different." There's young people, old people, men, women."Rich was really lovely and like, "Don't worry, relax, we'll help you, we'll teach you." '

'It's a big experience going to one of the Wonderbrass rehearsals as a teenager. So many different instruments making a great sound. Wherever you wanted to stand, you would get your instruments out loosely in a group around where the leader was standing.'

'I remember, for me, it being a massive learning curve because all of my musical life had been classical music, with music. It was very precise and with scores. I think we rocked up and for quite a lot of it there wasn't any musical score so it was a lot more at the jazz end of the spectrum. You suddenly realise that the structure of the pieces wasn't always as it was written. Occasionally you'd just see a line of letters and this was the tune you were supposed to be playing. So it took a bit of time to get used to all of that and get up to speed and know when you were supposed to be playing and when you weren't. There was a lovely, old guy called Howard leading the saxes at the time. He said to me, "I've got this written down somewhere."I thought, "Thank goodness." He came out with a Christmas card with some letters written on it and said "There we are, that's it", "Oh, right, OK." But it was almost quite liberating to get away from those dots. veryone was really friendly.'

'There was another girl, Nerys, who only joined a week or two before me. Glyn and Anthony and Steve the vicar were there. They'd all been in the band for a little while and were quite accomplished and really lovely. A lot of the music is allover the place. You've got one thing written down, but if you've been there long enough you've got this tacit knowledge - that doesn't actually do that. They were really, really lovely filling me in. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. '

'It was just a lovely atmosphere. I feel like I slotted in straight away. It was great.'

'I kinda knew the people. I knew them from being one of the 'wonder widows' where you just turn up with your partner and you stand and watch. I would take photographs and videos.'

'Everyone was really welcoming and like "Come and try." That makes you want to stick around even if you can't do it straight away. '

'You're new and it's very much like a carousel. You go round and round and you try to stay on that horse as long as you can. It was amazing because I'd been in Cardiff for about six months. I didn't really know many people. I'd got my housemates and I'd met people at work, but they weren't people I'd clicked with. They were friendly but not people that I wanted to hang out with really. Then I remember I walked into the first rehearsal and it was after Christmas. Where they used to rehearse was an old working men's club. Rob called everyone together so everyone started playing. It was pouring with rain outside, it was a horrible January night and I remember standing there thinking, "I've come home."I felt like, "This is it. This is back to where I belong." '

'What was difficult was there were pieces that everybody knew and it's a bit like a train passing through the station and you're trying to get on but the train's not stopping. And it seems to rush through and everything passes by very quickly.'

'I was of the mind-set to just throw myself into whatever came my way in life. There was a couple of new pieces that same rehearsal and when everyone else was with something new you realise that actually it's just getting to know the pieces.'

'I suppose a bit nervous, it was something new, something different.I'd played in brass bands before, this was a bit freer, I suppose.'

'I just remember standing there going, "I have no idea what's going on." I'd never played with a band before. I'd only had lessons with my friend.'

'We had a range from 15 to 70-odd, and everybody has something to offer. You learn from the more experienced players, so I think from a social point of view, it was fantastic. There were various players. There are some very good players and beginners like myself. '

'There are really good players that stick around and are happy to share their knowledge and their patience and their understanding. Standards just got higher and higher, better and better. Yeah, so we've all collectively improved. '

'That's what makes it work. People are generous with knowledge and time. '

'Just nervous, but positive.It was really what I wanted to do.'

'There was this sea of instruments and people in the background playing quite loudly, but it was a great vibe and really cool people.'

'The great thing was everyone was just so chilled. They didn't expect a great deal of me.'

'I went every Tuesday. I loved the music, it was very structured but free at the same time. And just the friendliness and just playing again properly. It was just so encouraging. It was brilliant.'

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRcTF7DSZg0 (link opens in new window)