Nias Visit 2004

Welcome to The Concert Band

This web site is dedicated to college and secondary school concert and wind bands. It contains information about the various instruments employed, as well as hints about band training (including technique and intonation), conducting, the physical laws the govern sound production, and anything else I think the young musicians who play in these bands might find helpful. Some sections (such as the one on interpretation) are more for band directors than players, of course, but overall I have tried to include something of interest to just about everyone.

There is also a large section devoted to the activities of the Brass Band Jenderal (BBJ), a Salvation Army band based in Medan, Indonesia. If you are interested in this Band, click here.

Some of the information on this website has been extracted from my book entitled The Band Director's Handbook: A guide for College and Secondary School Band Directors in Southeast Asia. The book also includes additional chapters on pedagogy and the varying characteristics of different wind band instruments that are not included in this website. It also has a chapter devoted to writing arrangements and transcriptions for wind band. To order a copy of my book, see the publication details below.

: Administrator; Tours; 01 May 2010; Hits: 3928

Nias Visit 2004

In November 2004, the band went to Nias for the first time. Nias is a poor island off the West coast of Sumatra, where about half of the boys in the home have relatives.

Introduction
Band Trip
Earthquake damage

Introduction

In November 2004, the band went to Nias for the first time. Nias is a poor island off the West coast of Sumatra, where about half of the boys in the home have relatives.

Nias is also one of the areas badly affected by both the devastating tsunami that hit Indonesia on December 26 and the earthquake on April 28 the following year. Fortunately, very few of the relatives of the boys were injured. The Salvation Amy and other relief organisations sent emergency supplies to the island, including medical help. After the earthquake, food - especially rice - commandsd a high price. This appears to have been the work of corrupt officials hoarding relief supplies.

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Band Trip

The band trip, of course, took place in much happier times. This photograph includes some older Salvation Army officers in our "rombongan" from Medan who donned our band T-shirts just for fun.

The band took part in a traditional Salvation Army procession:

With the band leading the way:

Look at the backdrop we had for one performance! Picture taken after the show was over.

By the sea. Thanks to the tsunami, it is probably all gone now.

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Earthquake Damage

I have several photographs of the damage, but I will not put them all here. The ones with dead bodies are just too gory. But these previously unpublished photos sent to me by one of the Medan band members who visited the island soon after the quake should give you some idea of the destruction.

This photograph was taken in Gunungsitoli, the main town on eastern side of the island where hundreds of people died.

Here is what is left of the Salvation Army corps (church) in Teluk Dalam (a town in the south of the island) where the band stayed last November. Fortunately, we were not there when the earthquake hit!