The Intermediate Bands
Blown Away!
Winds Of Change
Swings Cool
Blown Away!
Directed By Rob Bartlett
Rehearses 7:30 - 9:30pm Every Thursday at Staple Hill Primary School, Page Road, Staple Hill, Bristol BS16 4NE
Grades 4 - 6
Blown Away! are a higher intermediate band catering for players between grades 4 and 6 who would like to improve. Many players eventually progress to playing in Bristol Concert Wind Band itself. Blown Away! plays at least one formal concert and summer outside gigs in and around Bristol each year.
Where We Rehearse
Rob Bartlett - MD of Blown Away!
Rob started learning the trumpet at 15 then took up piano at 17. Passed grade 8 trumpet at school, then studied with David Shead (Wells Cathedral school) for the DipABRSM in performance Trumpet (passed in 1995), Grade 8 theory of music, Grade 6 piano.
Rob has been a private brass teacher for over 25 years with a 100% pass rate on entry of pupils to examination. He currently holds a seat in the Bristol Concert Orchestra, Bristol Chamber Orchestra, Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra and the Baroque Ensemble with the Beaumont Singers at Wells Cathedral School. He has and continues to dep for Bristol Brass Consort, Bath Symphony Orchestra, Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra, The Brunel Sinfonietta and many big bands in the Bristol area. He is a specialist in baroque performance on both period and modern instruments.
Winds Of Change
Directed By Tina Bartlett
Rehearses 7:30 - 9:30pm Every Tuesday at Downend Baptist Church, Salisbury Road, Bristol BS16 5RA
Grades 2 - 5
Winds of Change are the first of the intermediate bands with many players progressing from the 2 year learner course to this level. They enjoy playing a wide variety of music between grades 2 and 5.
The band is also great for returning players to find their form and feet after a break of a few years. We actively encourage players to improve with a view to move up to Blown Away! when they feel ready and fancy a new challenge. Winds of Change plays a number of gigs and local events throughout the year.
Where We Rehearse
Tina Bartlett - MD Winds Of Change
An accomplished Flautist who studied as a child with Patricia and Lamond Clelland.
Tina learnt both the Flute and Violin as a child, passing both her grade 8 flute and grade 6 violin aged 15. She started off her playing experience with the Wessex Flute Band playing Treble Flute (conducted by Lamond Clelland, ex Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra). She also enjoyed playing violin with Trowbridge Orchestra.
She then studied Music A Level at College, and whilst studying Law at a University, Tina played Flute/Piccolo with the University Musicians Society and Swansea Concert Band.
After leaving University Tina moved to Bristol for work and had a short break from playing... but it wasn't long before she missed it and joined what is now Blown Away! to get back into playing. Later, she played with BCWB for which she became Principal Flute/Piccolo.
After having 2 children, Tina has now left playing with BCWB as a regular member, but continues play with them as a dep.
Tina began running the learner band, Fair Winds, in 2017. and is now conducting Winds Of Change. In relation to conducting, she has previous experience from helping conduct and teach with Musicale Holidays when she was studying her A Levels. She ran Swansea University's Musicians Society in her last year at University and conducted the Orchestra and Jazz Band during that time. Tina also teaches flute privately.
Swing's Cool
Directed By Derek Lawrence
Rehearses Sunday morning once a month at Long Ashton Community Centre, BS41 9DP
Mixed Ability
Swings Cool is a monthly class for people who want to learn to play swing band music where the focus is on playing together for fun rather than public performances. New players are welcome with or without experience of swing music. You may have noticed that in swing music the dots mean different things to their classical interpretation (quavers longer than crotchets can be particularly confusing) and we learn how to play them. The class is lead by experienced band leader Derek Lawrence.
Traditional swing bands have 5 saxes, 4 trumpets, string bass, keyboard, drums and sometimes guitar. As our objective is for everyone to learn the swing style we don't limit the numbers in any section and we welcome other instruments. We also don't laugh at anybody!
We rehearse on a Sunday morning once a month. Contact us if you would like to take part.