Want to join the band?
Here’s a bit about our application process and expectations:
Instruments:
Time Commitment:
Reliability:
Culture:
Earnings:
Ready to apply? Here’s the process:
Thank you for considering joining Brasscals! Give us a shout out if you’re interested in starting the application process. We look forward to meeting you!
- We are open to musicians of all kinds, particularly brass, woodwind, and percussion instrumentalists. If you’re not sure if your instrument is a fit, ask us!
- We like creativity and diversity.
Time Commitment:
- A 2-hour rehearsal every Thursday evening at a central location in SB
- 2-3 evening and/or weekend gigs each month (with more or fewer occasionally)
- Practice time outside of rehearsals to learn music on your own. We have a set list of 34 pieces (and counting), so this is especially important for new members.
- As we’re a mobile band, the memorization of most pieces is encouraged — but not expected at first.
- Occasional meetings (3-4x/year) to discuss goals and make decisions as a group. We’re a very collaborative band, and all voices matter. Meetings are typically held somewhere fun, like a patio or a brewery.
Reliability:
- Dedication, reliability, and demonstrated investment in the band
- Punctual attendance
- Strong communication skills – openly and proactively communicating when missing rehearsals and shows and assisting in finding subs for your part
Culture:
- Brasscals! is not just a band — we’re also a group of friends, and we love to have FUN together. We’re looking for open-minded, lighthearted, friendly and warm individuals to join us.
- We are open to those of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, and personalities. We embrace diversity of all kinds.
Earnings:
- As a band, we identify as a community building project rather than a business. As such, Brasscals! invests all of the money that we earn at gigs back into the band rather than dividing the profits between all members. We are not a for-profit band.
- We always cover basic costs members may accrue from playing (gas, parking, etc.) but invest the rest of the money into the operations of the band, including merch, promotions, travel, and the occasional round of drinks after a show.
- Brasscals! is a truly diverse group of musicians from all sorts of different backgrounds. Some of us have had lots of formal training. Others are self-taught. Some can sight-read, and others play by ear. Some memorize pieces immediately upon learning them, and others take a while to memorize but are working on it.
- We’re all different, and if you have the right mix of dedication and a great personality, we can likely make it work— we’ll meet you where you are, musically! Many of our pieces are fairly simple and repetitive, and our arrangers can arrange for many skill levels.
- Brasscals conducts a simple survey of skills to ensure that new members can keep up with the band. Prospective members who play brass & woodwinds are expected to be able to play a two-octave scale, play one memorized piece (of your choice) from our repertoire, and play a very short piece or phrase of music either by sight-reading the piece or by ear (repeating back the phrase after someone plays it for you).
Ready to apply? Here’s the process:
- If you’re interested in joining, send us an email to [email protected].
- After brief intros, we will send you an email with links to the music and updates on the pieces we’ll be working on in our next Thursday rehearsal.
- We ask that you attend three consecutive rehearsals to play with us, after which we can mutually decide if it’s a good fit to formalize the membership.
- We also ask that you try to memorize at least 1 of our basic songs during this trial period, to get a feel for our pace of learning.
- Overall, we are looking for the right balance of reliability, friendliness, and musicianship in any incoming member.
Thank you for considering joining Brasscals! Give us a shout out if you’re interested in starting the application process. We look forward to meeting you!