grants
28
finnish cultural foundation
annual report 2012–2013
“I
f we want to see more Finnish
brass players in our orchestras,
we all need to pull together,” say
Harri Lidsle
and
Jouko Harjanne
.
Over the years, the ideas of these two top
Finnish brass players (Lidsle plays the
tuba in the Lahti Symphony Orchestra
and Harjanne is principal trumpet in
the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra)
gradually matured at Lieksa Brass Week,
of which Harjanne is Artistic Director, until
they finally concretised in a national Brass
Academy for young players.
“
Erkki Karjalainen
, a trumpet man,
advised me that if you don’t take steps to
influence things yourself, you have no right
to criticise the way others do them. And
that’s really why we’re here,” says Harri
Lidsle. The Brass Academy project was
officially launched in winter 2012. The
Finnish Cultural Foundation had awarded
a three-year grant of EUR 200,000 for the
development of brass culture in Finland by
gathering together promising youngsters
from all over the country.
“The standard of Finnish brass playing
is causing general concern, and we want to
improve the teaching of brass instruments
before it’s too late,” adds Jouko Harjanne.
The project is advancing on many
fronts, and in partnership with other
organisations, but the objective is always
the same: to make sure that the keenest
and most talented young brass players
get good tuition. The Brass Academy is
reaching out into the provinces in the
form of recital talks and model concerts,
training for teachers, study weekends for
specific instruments and ensembles and, of
course, ensembles made up of the keenest
young brass players from all over Finland.
to die out as the towns got bigger. Little
communities like Toholampi are still
strongholds of brass music. The typical
Finnish brass ensemble is a septet, and
the Brass Academy fosters this tradition
by advising amateur bands and giving
performances by its own professional
Brass Septet Imperial.
Lowering the threshold
to applying
One of the Brass Academy’s concrete
objectives is to raise the number of Finnish
brass players applying for a conservatory
or going for auditions. Indeed, the number
applying for the Sibelius Academy already
showed an increase in the spring following
the start of the Brass Academy.
The Brass Academy encourages players
to apply. “They may play in an ensemble,
but they have less experience of holding
an audience and solo performance; unlike,
say, pianists and violinists,” say Lidsle and
Harjanne. Which is why brass players need
special support over entrance exams
and auditions. “The Academy’s entrance
exam coaching brings the same age group
together, so they can also learn from one
another,” says Lidsle. And according to
Harjanne, who has sat on a number of
boards, such elementary social skills as
greeting the examiners are surprisingly
important.
The Academy now has some 60 students
aged 15–20 and a new group, called Next
Generation, for 12–15-year-olds is due to
start up in February 2014.
“Our aim is to commit themost talented
youngsters, to seek out the unpolished
diamonds,” Harri Lidsle explains. “We don’t
want to make teachers feel guilty; rather,
we want to back them up, to do something
a normal music college can’t offer.”
These measures will create ripples,
spread, and in turn generate enthusiasm
elsewhere. “This shares out the respon-
sibility, and some conservatory teacher
may be inspired to form a brass ensemble
of their own,” says Lidsle. “Two people
can’t hope to change the world, but we
can make our mark. A good example is the
city of Kuopio, where we did a weekend
training session. Whenwe went back there
recently, we found they’d already formed
a big brass ensemble that sounded really
good,” Harjanne is pleased to report.
Everything rests on the youngsters’
own interest. “Even if only a few get
interested, it’s catching and spreads. The
players don’t necessarily need to have
grade certificates. If a teacher recommends
a youngster and they are motivated, we let
them come along.”
In the olden days, every village, fac-
tory or mill had its brass band. But, say
Lidsle and Harjanne, the bands began
Brass Academy invests
in the future
The Finnish Cultural Foundation granted the national Brass Academy EUR 200,000
to support the Finnish brass-playing tradition.
“The standard of Finnish brass playing is causing
general concern, and we want to improve the
teaching of brass instruments before it’s too late.”
