Please download your pdf copy of Mandarins Brass Academy information, here.
Thank you for inquiring about the Mandarins Brass Academy (MBA). The MBA is dedicated to raising the skill level of brass playing throughout the Northern California community. It is intended for brass students in high school or college who are motivated to enhance their level of brass performance through a careful study of brass performance techniques. The MBA is not a substitute for school instruction, but is meant to be complementary and supportive of all area band programs.
The Mandarins Brass Academy is a fun and rewarding ensemble with a target of well over 50 brass performers. The ensemble consists of musicians playing Trumpets, French Horns, Mellophones, Baritones, Trombones, Euphoniums and Tubas. We will be meeting once a month through an six-session curriculum, culminating in our winter and spring performances.
- Rehearsal Schedule:
- Time: 1:30 to 4:00PM
- Registration/setup begins at 1:30PM; instruction begins at 2:00PM
- Place: Cosumnes Oaks High School in Elk Grove
- Address: 9850 Lotz Parkway, Elk Grove, CA 95757 (Directions in FAQ's)
- Dates: All rehearsals are held on Sunday afternoons as follows:
- September 6, 2009
- October 4, 2009
- November 1, 2009
- December 6, 2009
- January 10, 2010
- January 31, 2010
Please see the following list of frequently asked questions for more information. If you have any questions that are not answered below, please email us at MandarinsBrass@yahoo.com.
A. Simple, there are two ways to become a member. First, you can pre-register by sending an email to MandarinsBrass@yahoo.com with your name, age, school, the instrument that you want to play and how long you have been playing that instrument. Second, attend the first rehearsal session on September 6 and register in person.
A: We are pleased and honored to be able to hold our rehearsals at the Cosumnes Oaks High School in Elk Grove. This is a brand new high school with a state-of-thart music facility. The address is 9850 Lotz Parkway, Elk Grove, CA 95757, which is behind the Elk Grove Auto Mall, just off of Highway 99 and Elk Grove Boulevard.
A. Since Cosumnes Oak High School is so new, it doesn't appear on any online map websites yet. Don't worry it is easy to find and convenient from the freeways. Here are the directions:
- Directions
- From Highway 99 - Exit west on Elk Grove Boulevard. Turn Left on Laguna Springs Drive. Continue until you reach the Cosumnes Oaks High School parking lot.
- From Interstate 5 - Exit east on Elk Grove Boulevard. Turn Right on Laguna Springs Drive. COntinue until you reach the Cosumnes Oaks High School Parking lot,
A: The Mandarins Brass Academy costs $50 to join for the full year. We are keeping the cost as low as possible to allow as many area brass musicians as possible to join. This nominal fee covers the cost of printing music and paying for the rehearsal location.
A: While it is not a requirement to be in a high school or college band, we highly recommend that you be a member of your school band. The MBA is intended to be fully complementary and supportive of your school band program. It is only through daily practice in your band program that you will gain proficiency in your playing ability.
A: We recommend that you bring your own instrument. We will have a limited supply of baritones, euphoniums and tubas. Also, if you want to borrow a Mandarins instrument, please bring your own mouthpiece. To make arrangements to use an instrument, send an email request to MandarinsBrass @yahoo.com.
A: No, there are no auditions. You simply need to attend one of the first MBA sessions, register and pay the dues.
A: The MBA meets once a month on Sundays from 1:30 to 4:00PM.
A: While attending all rehearsals is not mandatory, it is highly recommended. During each session we will cover a different brass performance topic. If you miss a rehearsal session you will miss that aspect of brass performance. If you must miss a rehearsal for some reason, please email us at MandarinsBrass@yahoo.com.
A. Yes, you can still join. Simply come out to the next rehearsal and we will find a way of fitting you into the brass ensemble.
A: Throughout the year we will have two or three performances. We are currently scheduled to perform in a joint concert with the Elk Grove Community Band for their winter concert. We will also have at least one other community concert.
A: The answer is a qualified yes. The MBA requires that you have a basic understanding of the instrument that you want to study. For example, everyone should know the fingerings or slide positions for their instrument of choice. We will then introduce some of the fundamentals of brass playing that will benefit brass musicians of all levels. It is highly encouraged, though, that anyone participating in the MBA has daily practice with their brass instrument.
A: No. The MBA is a non-marching ensemble. At times we may play a standstill performance, but marching is not required.
A: Absolutely not. The rehearsal times were chosen to try to avoid any conflicts with your school band rehearsals or performances. If there is a schedule conflict, we fully expect you to attend your school function.
A: Bring your instrument, notepad, pencil, drinking water and valve oil. Most importantly bring a positive attitude to learn and a lot of energy to play!
A: All rehearsals will be in Elk Grove and all performances will be within the Sacramento area.
A: We are pleased to have on staff many of the brass instructors from the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps. Also, we have invited other area music educators to participate. All combined, our instructional staff has well over a hundred years of experience in performing and teaching brass musicianship.
A: Our rehearsals will be a fast paced two and half hour session so please make sure you are early to each session. Registration and setup will begin at 1:30PM with warm-ups beginning at 2:00PM. At the end of each rehearsal session we will invite all parents to a short show-and-tell performance of what we learned during that session.
A: We will play a wide variety of music ranging from technical studies to performance pieces that are specifically arranged for brass ensembles.
A: Each MBA session will be focused on a particular brass performance technique. For example, we will have sessions on proper breathing methods, achieving good tone quality, proper attacks and releases, fingering dexterity, etc. These techniques will be applied to exercises. These techniques will ultimately be demonstrated through the performance pieces.
A: The MBA is intended to help strengthen local band programs. The MBA provides school music directors the opportunity to send their students to the Academy where the students will focus on these specific brass techniques. Our hope is that the students will return to their band programs with a deeper understanding and appreciation for what it takes to be a proficient brass performer.
A: While the MBA is intended for area high school and college level musicians, we will consider 8th graders who have the ability to play at a high school level.
A: No, while the MBA is sponsored in part by the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps, it is a separate entity. The Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps is a marching organization consisting of a full brass line, percussion line and color guard.The Corps tours throughout the United States during the summer and is a sanctioned World Class Drum and Bugle Corps through Drum Corps International. For more information see the website Mandarins.org
A: Yes. The brass performance techniques that are taught in the brass academy are consistent with those taught in the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps. Demonstrating these proficiencies is part of the Mandarins audition process. In the past, many members of the Mandarins Brass Academy have gone on to become full marching members of the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps. Membership in the MBA, however, is not a guarantee of acceptance into the Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps.
A: For any additional information that is not mentioned here, please contact us at MandarinsBrass@yahoo.com
We look forward to seeing you at the first rehearsal on September 6, 2009!!!
The rich history and foundations that Mandarins shares with young people is invaluable. ~ Bruce Reyes-Chow
