Alex Bland Music

01/09/2025

As the start of a new teaching year approaches, (my 3rd year!) it’s always nice to look back and reflect on how the students I’ve taught have progressed since my switch to full time teaching.

Privately I’ve increased my full time students from 2 to 5 this year, and It is great pleasure to work with all ages and abilities. Squeezing lessons inbetween my 9-5 and evening commitmentsI has resulted in some super achievements

- My longest suffering student has passed his ABRSM Grade 5, Grade 5 music theory and Grade 6 trombone (all in a year!)

- Aged 6, trombone; already achieved distinctions in both ABRSM Grade 1 and Grade 3 trombone this year… 132 and 130, remarkable!

- My baritone student passed his ABRSM Grade 3 at Christmas and is already well on his way to his Grade 5

- Both my beginner trumpets passed their ABRSM Grade 1 at their first attempt

Through my work with Leicestershire music I have met and worked with 4 great young beginner trumpet players; with all apart from one I’ve managed to put into their first graded exams, resulting in:

3 Grade 1 ABRSM certificates:

- 2 merits at 127 and 128 / 150
- 1 pass at 117 / 150

Despite its naysayers, grade success certainly makes you feel like you’re okay at your job and allows the students to focus on working towards something.

I do have some evening time available if anyone knows of anyone needing brass instrumental lessons or music theory lessons - please do get in touch.

01/07/2025

Friday evening saw the wonderful people of Shipston turn out to celebrate the Town’s version of “the last night of the proms” featuring the first run out of the band’s 2025 Wychavon set.

A double dabble on Euph for me with the lovely folk of Bilton Silver on both Saturday and Sunday mornings followed on the the Saturday evening by an unexpected last minute wedding function (sorry Mnozil!).

Sunday afternoon saw a band call of Bugsy Malone to dash up to in Melton before returning south to finish the weekend off with an enjoyable BBCE rehearsal in preparation for ny dep performance with them at the iron bridge festival in a few weeks.

Thought I’d given up playing 😬🤷‍♂️

18/02/2025

I was meant to post this before the new year but the end of 2024 simply flew by

3 shows, 2 contests and multiple concerts… in October and November alone.

October began with a few nights supporting Derwent brass in their on stage role of Welfare at the Derby theatre

Soon enough though I was returned to the darkness of the pits supporting a lovely production of The Wizard of Oz… that blasted jitterbug will forever haunt me.

The penultimate week of October allowed me to cross a show of the list that had been stubbornly sitting there for a while… blasting through an immensely professional week of “The Addams Family”

Early November saw Shipston perform at Wychavon. A brave new set which pushed the band to do something different… just didn’t turn out to be the bands day.

With contest month and bandin’ silly season on the horizon, it was only right to spend a weekend reflecting with two memorable remembrances performances.

Firstly performing the armed man with Derwent brass followed the next day by the whole village of syston turning out to pay their respects on Remembrance Sunday.

After sandwiching in a traditional Leicester Symphony concert at the always impressive De Montfort Hall, attentions quickly turned to the Leicester contest on the horizon.

Playing with 1 and conducting 2, the Leicester brass band competition is always my 2nd favourite contesting event of the year… and my first competition win at the 5th time of asking.

One better than last year…

2024 4th section LBBA champions! Now to the areas… My first competition win as a brass band conductor.

December soon followed with 3 more Derwent gigs including Russel Watson and some great local Belper sell outs, a trip down south with foresters alongside conducting Shipston and Syston at their own local Christmas concerts.

Let’s see what this 2025 brings! 🤔

06/08/2024

Immensely proud of these young people and how quickly they adapted to knowing that with only 5 minutes until the performance, that’d I’d be standing in the middle conducting them due to last minute illness.

Looking forward to continuing to support the north area orchestra and starting a new brass ensemble with Warwickshire music in the new year.

Really enjoyed this one!

North Warwickshire Area Orchestra performing excerpts from Grease and Pirates of the Caribbean at our Summer celebration concert 28th June 2024

09/07/2024

Looking forward to a week full of school demonstrations ahead with Coventry music service

Fingers crossed some average euphonium playing inspires the next generation to be better than me! 😬

15/06/2024

The best bit of doing what I love to make a living is simply the variety of options I get to challenge myself too

- Conducted Syston in their 80th year D - Day celebrations on the Thursday

- Headed down to London to join KCLSO for some tuba support on Friday and Saturday evenings

- Joined the junkyard cats for some very approximate Sousaphone playing on the Sunday

Those weekends are my kind of weekends

10/04/2024

One day more and it’s opening night! Back in the pit behind the barricade for a week in Warwick playing Les mis to support some brilliantly talented kids

If you’re around the area and fancy some revolution, it’d be great to have a fan or two.

Felt a while ago now but it was also a pleasure to join Deep Down Brass a few weeks ago for their first wedding of this season… the venues just keep getting better!

15/02/2024

Really enjoying playing a run of “Betty Blue Eyes” this week at the Squire Performing Arts theatre in Nottingham, always a pleasure to join Adam on this yearly adventure.

A new show to me, with the story itself based on some slightly bizarre subject matter, but boy is it entertaining.

Also means that because of the great people at Michael Rath Trombones, I can finally bring out the dream team of piping… if only you guys made euphoniums! 😅

11/12/2023

A very hectic but varied and most importantly enjoyable Christmas weekend… it almost put me in the festive mood!

Friday: An immense pleasure to be asked to join Derwent Brass for a wonderfully festive evening performing for a full audience at Derby Cathedral. Concentration definitely required!

Saturday afternoon: Always a joy to join Tim and Junkyard Cats Jazz Band in Loughborough - just brilliant fun… less said about the testing transposition and improvisation moments in 6 sharps the better😬

Saturday evening: A home bound gig at O Neil’s in Leicester with Dysfunktional Band UK - super crowd and I think super dep Luke enjoyed himself a little more than I did 😘😉🤷‍♂️

Sunday Afternoon: An immense thrill to lead Shipston Town Band for the first time. Hall absolutely packed of people young and old - and the joy of the ever chaotic “12 days of Christmas” to finish the afternoon. Really enjoyable first performance with the band

Sunday Evening: Straight back up north to take Syston Band for their annual Christmas concert. A wonderfully interactive evening with some great voices. Beaten by a Bernaerts! (If you know… you know 🫣!)

Let’s see what the next Christmas weekend has in store!

27/10/2023

Something slightly different for me this weekend, Italian Opera!

World premier of a rather unknown opera written by Bottini down showing down in Rugby of all places.

Clearly she’s never heard of a trombone before… 24/28 numbers are tacet!