2011 Winners of Australian Open A-Grade Concert Band Championships

Last Easter I joined the concert band I perform with: North West Wind Ensemble in Adelaide SA for the 2011 Australian National Band Championships.

We were one of four bands in Open A-Grade which is the highest level of performance for a concert band in Australia.

I am happy to let you all know that we won under the superb direction of our Musical Director James Brice.

Here is the test piece which all bands in Open A-Grade had to perform.
It is called Year of the Dragon by Phillip Sparke:



We achieved 198 out of a possible 200 points!
If you listen carefully you will hear the glockenspiel (high pitched metallic sound).
I play all the glockenspiel parts except for 4 notes at the start of the 2nd movement (which were written on a different part).

Hope you enjoy it!

2010 NSW State Band Championships

Yesterday I participated in the NSW State Band Championships with the concert band I perform with: NWWE (North West Wind Ensemble).

I play mostly glockenspiel.
This is an excerpt of one of the pieces we played yesterday.
It is called "Armenian Dances".
The original recoding goes for about 19 minutes.
This video is 10 minutes long.

We won the Open A-Grade section playing Armenian Dances, Fantasy Variations, and Shenendoah. I hope you enjoy it :)

Bio

Tessa Gutierrez has been teaching orchestral percussion and a variety of drumming styles since 1989. She has played and performed since the age of 5 with a variety of orchestras, concert bands, samba bands, marching bands, and local rock bands.

Through her inspirational teaching Tessa’s students have won many School and Tertiary music scholarships, accolades in their HSC, AMEB, Trinity College London and Trinity Guildhall examinations, in addition to various successes in their solo and ensemble performances at local Sydney Eisteddfods, the Billy Hyde Drummers play-offs, and the Australian Percussion Eisteddfod.

Quite a few of Tessa's students have also achieved places at the Australian National Band Championship solo events, and the NSW State Band Championship solo events with at least one of her students each year being awarded "Champion of Champions" in the percussion events. Many of her graduate students have finished their Degrees and are now successful percussion educators and performers.

It is compulsory for Tessa’s students to be a member of their school band program or a community ensemble so they can utilize the skills they learn. She currently teaches 100 students at three NSW primary schools and at her home studio. Tessa is also in demand as a tutor at other school music camps and workshops.

Above all, Tessa believes that music should be fun and enjoyable first, and that attention to technique, rhythm, reading and aural skills will enable a firm foundation for each student to learn appropriate skills and develop their own style. Currently, Tessa performs with the North West Wind Ensemble. In this excerpt from Dance Movements, she is playing the glockenspiel.