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China's modern military drew on the Western industrial model after China's defeat in the 1st Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. A major musical change was the incorporation of brass bands for military use and displays of national pageantry. Bands already were known in China in the civilian realms, and they were considered Western pastimes. The military brass bands became readily Sinicized by 1898 when, Yuan Shikai, the Qing Court advisor and garrison commander in the Sino-Japanese War hired a Prussian band master to train new Chinese army units in music performance and marching. Yuan in 1912 became the President of the Republic of China, and by the time of his death in 1916, warlords had brass bands in their cliques supporting their offices. Bugles later became adopted by the communist peasant armies who since the 1920s joined Mao Zedong, later accompanying him on the Long March of 1934-1935. Bugles had become the symbol of revolution. Their symbolism was concurrently represented by the bugle call in Nie Er's »March of the Volunteers,« heard in the 1935 film Children of Troubled Times. This march in 1949 became the provisional National Anthem of the People's Republic of China. Edgar Snow's 1936 photograph of a bugler in Ningxia also became iconic to the People's Revolution. The article halts prior to the start of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War in 1937, for by then the symbolism of Western military instruments was firmly establish in revolutionary thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this qualitative study, we share the musical experiences of seven Ghanaian university music students who primarily play a brass instrument in a university band. The purpose of this study is to illuminate these students' musical experiences during their pre-tertiary years to better understand what those experiences were and how they impacted their current musical abilities and understandings. The research questions for this study are: What were the formal musical experiences of Ghanaian university music majors who play Western-style brass instruments before entering university? What music teaching and learning methods did they experience prior to entering university? Who were the people who taught them music prior to entering university? Findings indicate that musical spaces were mostly outside of the regular school curriculum, including extra-curricular school regimental bands, church brigades, and town bands. Music learning was non-sequential throughout students' pre-tertiary experiences. Lack of access to instruments outside of rehearsals was a barrier to individual practice. Participants showed a lack of clarity about their music teachers' credentials, experience, and backgrounds but their answers suggest that professional development and training programs for teachers would be beneficial. It is recommended that Ghanaian brass band music education is restructured in places where it already exists and where pre-tertiary students choose to play, to include more comprehensive and sequential instrumental music education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are currently very few brass bands in schools in Australia, however they were the predominant music ensemble in Australian schools up to the 1970s. The aim of this article is to document the popularity of British-style brass bands in Australia, and the corresponding development of brass bands in schools during the 20th century. The history of the brass band in Australia and its decline is explored, drawing significantly on the historical research of Dr Duncan Bythell, Dr Thomas Fraschillo, Dr Dave Russell, and Dr John Whiteoak. In addition, various primary sources are examined, such as newspaper articles and photographs. British immigration to Australia played a significant role in shaping the brass band movement, which was distinctly male-dominated and had strong links to the military culture of the first half of the 20th century. These societal trends followed into the school brass band setting. The article concludes with an overview of the factors that influenced the shift away from the all-brass ensemble in schools. This research provides a better understanding of the brass band tradition within the context of the school environment in Australia and calls for further research and scholarly inclusion in the literature of music education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "The Race Traders" published in College English in September 2024 explores a futuristic scenario where mysterious ships disrupt the North American Federation with provocative music. The ships' arrival sparks a debate among NAF officials on how to respond to the potential threat, with concerns about race and identity politics resurfacing. Dissenters in Free Articulation Centers interpret the music as a sign of impending racial tensions, while government officials grapple with the dilemma of integrating or confronting the visitors. The narrative unfolds through a series of events and interactions that highlight the complexities of race, power, and communication in a speculative future setting. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract In a traditional New Orleans jazz funeral, the characteristic shift from mourning to joy is propelled by brass band musicians weaving melodies and rhythms together. This article is about how these thickly layered textures of sound elicit shared sentiments of lament and of joy. More than an accumulation of individual layers, the textures and emotions compose an atmosphere, in both the physical and metaphorical sense, of mutual aid. The relative openness of the sound—the fact that it cannot be reduced to its communicative content—means that it can also be heard as a political act of refusal, rebellion, or something else altogether. An underrecognized keyword in sound studies, texture is placed here in a web of relations with other keywords: affect, assembly, atmosphere, care, fugitivity, joy/lament, life/death, mutual aid, rebellion, refusal, religiosity, voice/instrument. Textures of sound do not explicitly call for an end to anti‐Black violence, and I am hesitant to even characterize the jazz funeral as an act of resistance. But I suggest that the assemblies of Black sounds and bodies "speak" to the possibility of liberation and generate an atmosphere of mutual aid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many young people playing brass band instruments in Australia, yet there is generally an expectation in secondary education, and almost always in higher education, that students will play orchestral brass instruments. This article explores how schools and tertiary music educations in Australia are equipping students to be 21st century musicians, with a focus on players of brass band instruments. Secondary school students playing brass band instruments are often misunderstood by music teachers and can have trouble fitting in to school music programs. Currently, the only university in Australia that offers a specific brass band subject and lists brass band instruments is Griffith University in Queensland, therefore many dedicated brass band instrumentalists choose to travel overseas for tertiary study. This article seeks to highlight a broader picture regarding music education in Australia, and encourages educators (and institutions) to step out of the conservatory-style specialisation regarding brass instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brass bands are one of the most representative musical expressions of the festivities of northern Chile. Appearing at the beginning of the 20th century, they gradually gained prominence in celebrating the Virgen del Carmen in La Tirana. From 1970 they became a symbol of the music representing the traditions of the north of Chile. This article focuses on the historical and musical development of the bands between 1970 and 2000. It analyzes the northern musicians who assumed the role of teachers within the bands, enriching the choreographic repertoire of the religious dances and events, incorporating musical literacy and learning systems that articulated musical styles of significance in the Sanctuary and northern cities

The study explored the music performance practices in the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). The authors examined musical practices envisioned in the ZRP from colonial times to date. The ZRP music section has dance and brass bands, traditional dance, and vocal ensembles. The study focused on the ZRP dance and brass bands since they were subjected to colonial practices. Decoloniality theory was used to interrogate the data. A qualitative research methodology was used to examine the ZRP musical practices. Thirty participants were purposively sampled from current and ex-members of the ZRP. The study collected data through interviews and observations to understand the ZRP musical practices. The study explored topics including sight-reading, harmony, discipline, performance of copyrighted music, European songs, and transcription to explain how they affected the musical practices of the ZRP. The data showed that certain practices, like the playing of "Roast Beef of Old England" depicts the colonial system. Other practices, like playing European calls at national and police ceremonial events did not reflect African contexts. Although the ZRP incorporated indigenous musical practices into their musical renditions, more musical act ivities are needed to replace the fanfare and songs, including "Scipio," "Road to the Isles," and "Waltzing Matilda." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consensus decision-making has become increasingly popular in social movements and other community projects, ideally amplifying feelings of investment and ownership in a project and its goals. While use of consensus has been notable in amateur musical spaces, this article examines the consensus process of a professionally oriented alternative brass band in the United States, exploring whether consensus can be effective, efficient, and just in a group that requires frequent executive decisions to function. Based on my seven years of participation in the band and an examination of the advantages and disadvantages identified by members, I contribute to an emerging interest in ensemble governance and argue that despite the many benefits of consensus, the process can also fail to build full solidarity and equality between members. I suggest that those seeking to decolonise or horizontalise traditional hierarchical leadership models must engage with the many pitfalls that unconventional governance structures can create. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the value of a club archive, using the example of the Bürgermusik Tamsweg archive. It discusses the challenges and significance of maintaining such archives within musical associations, emphasizes the importance of knowledge dissemination, and encourages the recognition of small volunteer-led archives as enriching the broader archival landscape in Austria.

Folk brass bands are bands formed in nonwestern cultures using the types of Western brass musical instruments invented in Europe during the mid to late 19th century, globalized with the spread of European colonialism though specifically changed to meet local and cultural needs. Folk brass bands thus reflect modernism and Westernization as well as localization and nationalization. The term »folk« is precise rather than »world,« for 'folk' entails the cultural phenomenon of bands learning and passing on music by oral tradition and permitting processes of musical change. Publications have been issued on such brass bands in the early 21st-century and explain the colonial introduction of brass music to folk cultures while the cultures later appropriated and nationalized their own band music. Theories in current publication are examined and expanded to include the return migrations of folk brass bands to Western cultures, particularly to American cities in their transnational contexts. The uniqueness of pre-migration values, attitudes, and customs of immigrants in Western societies now seeks a new analysis. Such are the cases of the Chinese funeral brass bands that perform in New York's Chinatown, and the Peruvian Catholic processional bands of Paterson, New Jersey. Folk brass band analyses now need a more thorough explanation beyond the scopes previously addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The July 1860 Crystal Palace Brass Band contest brought brass bands out of their heartlands to London in unprecedented numbers, The Times (12 July 1860, 9), lauding its success as 'quite extraordinary'. This landmark event was repeated in three successive years, but in 1863 it was abruptly terminated, and no cogent explanation has been established for its failure. The entrepreneur organizing the contests, Enderby Jackson, later wrote in his autobiography that other business dealings prevented him from further involvement in the series. Jackson had made full use of his talents and contacts to bring these remarkable working-class musical ensembles to the emergent national attraction that was the Crystal Palace. However, Jackson's manipulation of publicity and managerial style obstruct easy analysis of the contests. Moreover, Jackson later sought to protect his legacy by conjuring a smokescreen in his memoirs to obscure the real reasons for the failure of the Crystal Palace contests after 1863. The entrepreneurial environment is never a stable one, and it should not be presumed that the accolades accorded to the opening contest would translate into its continuance on an annual basis. However, the fact that the contests were attended by many thousands of visitors each year and Jackson's assertion that they were a financial success stand in stark contrast to what is implied by their sudden end. This article demonstrates how close examination of previously unconsidered letters, surviving documentation, and other sources cast doubt on whether the contest series was ever an extraordinary success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is to reveal the features of «Aladdin» ballet music by Oleksandr Rodin. The methodology of the work is based on cultural analysis with elements of musicological analysis (mainly by ear due to the lack of sheet music). The performed analysis provides an introduction to the music of Oleksandr Rodin, the staging of the ballet on the theatre stage. Based on the synthesis of the research results, it was possible to establish the regularities of musical and stage development. The method of generalization made it possible to record the leitmotif in the formation of ballet images and the disclosure of situations. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the analysis of Alexander Rodin's «Aladdin» ballet. The text of the article can be used when preparing a lecture on teaching music-theoretical and musichistorical disciplines. Conclusions. Musical characteristics of Aladdin, Jafar, Jasmine, Sultan, and Genie were made based on the analysis of «Aladdin» ballet performance by Alexander Rodin and Serhii Kon. Each character has its own intonation and rhythmic complex, which provides the leitmotiv system of the entire performance. In general, melodism is characterised by the stylisation of Oriental themes. The composer uses the scales of folk music, harmonic major. Jafar's characterisation is dominated by the brass band. Aladdin has two main themes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]