Welcome to the Blog

Welcome to the Auxiliary Brass Musical Journey

This is a blog celebrating music played by the Hamilton City Brass Auxiliary and Brass Factory Bands.

Brass Banding with Hamilton City Brass is so much fun, it provides opportunities for people to learn to play brass instruments:

• Cornet, Tenor Horn, Flugal Horn, Baritone, Euphonium, Tenor and Bass Trombone, E flat and B flat Basses and an accompaniment of percussion instruments (including timpani, drum kit, xylophone, glockenspiel bass drum, maracas, castanets, Tamborine etc). 
• Playing in a band
• Socialising with likeminded music loving people
• Play publicly - i.e. rest homes or public displays
• Compete in competitions, local, regional and nationally

This is a family friendly activity for people of every age. Hamilton City Brass Factory beginners band  has children as young as eight to beginning adults supported by more experienced players.  The Auxiliary Band has players as young as 11 to a player in their 90s.


About Myself: My name is Sandra Ginever, I currently play 2nd trombone in the Hamilton City Auxiliary Band and 1st trombone in the Hamilton City Brass Factory (Beginners Band). I have played a little over 12 months and have private lessons from a player in the Hamilton City Brass Senior Band. My husband plays in the front row cornets in the Auxiliary Band and helps out with the Brass Factory, our son plays 2nd tenor horn in the Auxiliary Band and our daughter is learning trombone in the Brass Factory.

My brass musical journey began in July 2017 when I was first introduced to Hamilton City Brass by my son and husband who played in a Brass Razoo, 24 hours of music.  I played piano at this event to fill a 15 minute time slot and spent many hours watching wonderful band members and guest players of various instruments entertaining crowds of people in order to raise funds for the Hamilton City Brass Association.  I couldn't play a single note out of a cornet, but luck would have it when my husband bought a second hand trombone online.  Tempted after seeing all the enjoyment had at the Brass Razoo I decided to give it a go and was quite surprised to find out that a larger mouthpiece is easier to play. I started lessons and the rest, it seems is history.