IT'S NOT A TRUMPET

THE BRASS BAND BLOG

by Liv Richardson

WELCOME

Welcome to It's Not a Trumpet - the brass band blog, where we cover all things brass band, mental health, music and more.

We want to open the door on the brass band world for everyone. Whether you're a brass player yourself looking for relatable, humorous content about our community or someone who wants to learn more about brass bands - you're in the right place.

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BLOG

Where you'll find my brass band adventures, playing advice, opinion pieces and more!

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VIDEO HUB

Listen to live performances and go behind the scenes of concerts and banding projects with my brass band vlogs!

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Created for musicians by a (professional content creator) musician. Fun, useful resources covering topics from practice planning to performance anxiety.

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RESOURCES

Brass in Concert 2025: Highlights

From creative staging to unique storylines and, of course, outstanding music - there was so much to commend from the programmes presented during the event. I’m glad I wasn’t adjudicating!

Liv Appleton

4 hours ago7 min read

Preview: Brass in Concert 2025

Everything You Need to Know About Brass in Concert 2025 Saturday 15th November will see 11 world-class bands go head-to-head at The Glasshouse in Gateshead at Brass in Concert . The contest not only offers a platform for bands to stretch their musical and technical dexterity, but also the chance to showcase their innovation and creativity with staging, choreography and more. In this competition the goal is to entertain and the band who comes out on top will be the one who sho

Liv Appleton

5 days ago7 min read

Dances, Alleluias and Omens: Rochdale Brass Band Contest 2025

Behind the Scenes of the Rochdale Brass Band Contest It’s been six years since I was last at the Rochdale Brass Band Contest, and a lot has changed since then. Firstly, it’s in a different place - when I last played, it was still at Rochdale Town Hall, but it has since moved to Wardle Academy. Secondly, I’m with a completely different band (Rainford, for those who don’t know). Lastly - and those of you who’ve followed the blog for a while may have already guessed this - Rochd

Liv Appleton

Oct 228 min read

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