Brass Band

Rode Heath Primary School has gained a reputation for being musical and a great tradition in the school is learning to play a brass instrument.

Brass has been taught at the school for over 15 years and numerous pupils, past and present, are able to play an instrument because of this facility.

Mrs Woollam has taken the ‘brass band’ after school club for the past 11 years and numbers have swelled during this time from 5 to 15. Music is now being written especially for young school bands and this gives the children a chance to experience playing in an ensemble situation.

The school has been fortunate to have many instruments donated and this allows pupils who wouldn’t ordinarily learn an instrument to have the opportunity to do so. The school endeavours to keep the cost of tuition to a minimum, thus making learning an instrument accessible to the vast majority of pupils. Current costs are £25 with pupils’ own instrument and £30 for lessons with a school instrument.

Many of our past and present brass musicians are members of local youth bands and this gives pupils the opportunity to meet other children with a similar interest and the prospect of travelling both within the UK and Europe.

The school band has performed at the Sandbach Music Festival, Odd Rode Church and Alsager High School. We ‘busk’ annually at Christmas outside Tesco in Kidsgrove to raise money for new music, new instruments and instrument maintenance. At the last count the school band had raised in excess of £300!

Children wishing to learn a brass instrument should see Mrs Woollam and their names will be put on a waiting list. In the event of several children waiting for an instrument to become available, names are drawn out of a hat.

Children are able to start learning and instrument from Year 3.

Below is a picture of the 2006 Rode Heath Brass Band.

© 2001-2009 Julie Wiskow