On 10 and 11 February 2024, a course for brass students was organised in Jarnac by the Charente departmental music school (EDM), in partnership with the conservatoires of Greater Cognac and Greater Angoulême, and with the collaboration of the association Cuivres en Charente.
For the occasion, four temporary brass bands were formed to divide up the 70 trainees, supported by teachers and musicians from the Charente brass band. The aim of each band was to perform two pieces at the end-of-course concert on Sunday 11 February at 5pm at the Maurice Ravel auditorium in Jarnac.
Two brass bands were formed, one for students at the beginning of their first cycle and the other for students at the end of their first cycle. The other two brass bands were made up of second-cycle and third-cycle students respectively.
The students were able to work in an orchestra with their teachers, as well as with Atsutaro Mizunaka and Antoine Ganaye, who kindly agreed to conduct a few pieces and share their vast experience with us. The students at the end of their first cycle will remember the breathing exercise Atsutaro asked them to do, with the edge of their hand perpendicular to their mouth, which intrigued them! Sunday morning also saw a lively but informal exchange between the young students and our two guest soloists, who answered the many questions put to them.
The concert on Sunday 11 February
The concert on Sunday 11 February was prepared as it should have been, with a line-up beforehand and instructions given to everyone on how to get on and off stage. For the youngest members of the group, it was probably a big first. It's not every day you get to perform in such conditions and with such a strong cast. The eight pieces, well performed by the four temporary brass bands, some of them quite ambitious, had been rehearsed throughout the weekend.
By 5pm, the Maurice Ravel auditorium was packed. Thank you to all the families who turned out en masse, and for their almost daily commitment to getting their children involved in music.
Value waits for no time: the brass band at the start of the 1st cycle
The "end of 1st cycle" brass band, directed by Atsutaro Mizunaka.
The concert closes with the "3e cycle" brass band, with special guest Antoine Ganaye on trombone!
We hope that these young musicians will take away good memories of this experience, and that it will strengthen their motivation to work on their instrument. Let's hope that this weekend has also inspired them to one day join a brass band (and preferably one from the Charente!).
Thank you to everyone who helped make the weekend a success!
Francis Chiché introduces the course supervisors
Once again, we would like to thank Atsutaro Mizunaka and Antoine Ganaye for their involvement, as well as all the teachers present, not forgetting the musicians from the brass band who stayed all weekend to help the trainees. Finally, special thanks go to Francis Chiché, who was the driving force behind the project and ensured coordination between all his colleagues at the EDM and the two conservatoires in Charente.
This teamwork is essential to keep music alive in our region.