A Dummies Guide to Brass Instruments: how to use them, not abuse them
The world of brass writing is still very early in its development. Where string and wind instruments have comprehensive guides, giving composers easy access into their compositional worlds, the existing brass manuals tend to be outdated or overly complex.
Researcher: Sam Dawes
I plan to create a guide for composers on how to navigate the modern-day brass family of instruments. My research will include a series of interviews with some of the profession’s top brass musicians, exploring what they would like to see from brass writing in new music; how we can refine our compositional skills for brass; and who they think epitomises idiomatic (great?) brass writing.
From this I will collate a discussion of common mistakes and how we can solve them and prevent them. I would also like to survey current composers at the Academy and find out what burning questions they have surrounding brass writing. The aim is for this volume to be accessible to all composers of any level, and hopefully provide better understanding for them going forward.
Image: Berkeley Brass in concert. Pictured left to right: Tom Thornton, John Vernon, Reuben Anelay, Jude Smith, Cameron Bahmaie, Felix Rockhill, Sam Dawes.