FRUIT FROM THE "B" BAND

Here at ASAPH Teaching Ministry, we are proud of our brass band. We have performed in Okay, in Tigwav, and in many places in between. The band has been growing regularly since 2013 or so.
Over the years, we have said goodbye to members for various reasons. Some have left the country. Some have left town for higher education. One married and finds little time to play. Some have just lost interest.

This past year, four or five graduated as part of the same class. In two years, our first trumpet section went from six quality players down to one. At one time, we were getting close to thirty active members. This year, we had rehearsals where only six players showed up.

For the past several years, we have had a “B” band for players who are working their way up to be ready for the ASAPH Brass Band. Assistant Directors Teddy and Anemson often worked with that group. When the big band needed new members, we have somewhere to turn. I worked with members of the B band two times each week for the last two months. Eight of them have now passed auditions to play in the ASAPH Brass Band. That would never have been possible without the work of Teddy and Anemson the past couple of years.

We call ASAPH a music academy. It’s not a school. A school gives the picture of one teacher standing before his/her students. An academy, on the other hand, is a group of people who unite around a common love or interest. They learn from and teach each other. That happens all the time here at ASAPH.

I often leave the Teaching Center and find a guitar student sitting in my yard giving tips to a younger student. I often see young players getting together and making music spontaneously. That is an academy. That is ASAPH Teaching Ministry.

I have a poster on the wall showing two little puppies tucked into the same coffee cup.  The caption reads : WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. That’s my philosophy. We must agree to get along, and help each other along. Read Romans 12 and 13. It’s God’s plan. It is a fruitful one.  

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