What I Learned From… Playing in Orchestras and Brass Bands

How Music Shaped My Confidence, Discipline and Resilience

It’s fair to say I grew up in a fairly musical family. My mum is a cellist, her mum was a cellist, and several of my mum’s cousins are professional musicians in the classical and folk worlds. Music was always going to be part of my life. The only question was which instrument I’d play, and as the eldest – I didn’t have a sibling that had already started that journey!

I dabbled with the violin, piano, recorder, and even classical guitar, but nothing really stuck. Then, around the age of 11 or 12, I picked up the trumpet and suddenly, music felt fun.

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Discovering Brass

My trumpet teacher, Tim Norris, was hugely influential. He had a deep love of brass and brass band music, something quite alien to my family, who were rooted in strings and orchestras. Tim not only gave lessons, but also ran a local junior brass group. This was my first taste of performing live at small concerts in Winchester.

I quickly noticed something: while some of the most talented players crumbled with nerves before a performance, I wasn’t nervous at all. I even remember one of the best trumpet players having a meltdown before a concert, and me thinking, Why? They’re brilliant.

That was an early lesson: talent is wasted if you can’t show it when it matters. I’m not sure why I was so comfortable performing, maybe because my siblings and I put on silly shows for the family at Christmas, maybe because I just didn’t overthink it (or cynically you could say I didn’t care too much) but confidence became as important as ability.

From Trumpet to Drums

Not long after, I started drum lessons with Glenn Clarke in Winchester. I fell head over heels for the drums, and they quickly became my passion. By secondary school, I was juggling trumpet lessons, drum practice, wind band, and jazz band. To put it mildly, my lunchtimes were usually “eaten up” by rehearsals.

It was a heavy commitment, one that probably cost me socially? But it taught me discipline. Even when I wanted to quit, my teachers and parents kept encouraging me (or forcing me) to push through.

The Switch to Tuba

Then came a turning point. I overheard my school’s head of music, Duncan Bradley, and my trumpet teacher at the time discussing the fact that the school’s tuba player was about to leave. Always one for a new challenge, I thought, that sounds fun. My mum, sensing I was falling out of love with the trumpet, dug deep and bought me a second-hand tuba for about £2,000.

Through the music shop we found a teacher, Leighton Rich, who also happened to be the director of the Hampshire County Youth Band system. Leighton wasn’t just a teacher, he was a mentor. He’d often stay for hours, drinking tea, chatting with my mum, and especially talking with my disabled sister Tashi, who adored him.

The tuba suited me perfectly. For brass players, the “embouchure”, the shape your lips make to produce sound, is everything. Trumpet requires a tight, pinched embouchure. Tuba, on the other hand, is loose, better suited for someone with, shall we say, a “big mouth.” It felt like home – yes, I do have a big mouth!

Hampshire County Youth Band

Leighton encouraged me to audition for the Hampshire system: junior band, then training band, then county band.

The first time I heard the county band play, I was blown away.

The sheer power and quality was extraordinary, and I knew I wanted to be part of it. Each year, every player auditioned individually in a Winchester church. It was nerve-racking, even with Leighton as my teacher, but the process taught me resilience. It also taught me another lesson: progress depends not just on talent, but also teamwork and circumstance.

• Talent – what you showed in your audition.

• Group performance – how you played across the year.

• Circumstance – sometimes, there just wasn’t space for your instrument in the next band up.

For example, the county band already had too many Eb (E-flat) tuba players. So I switched to the larger Bb (B-flat) tuba to improve my chances. It was a practical lesson in spotting opportunities and adapting, a skill that applies just as much in business as in music.

Commitment and Community

Being in the band was a huge commitment. Saturdays were swallowed by rehearsals, and tours took us all over Europe. I remember mayhem in Belgium, a surreal performance at a German theme park we nicknamed “Bob-a-Job Land,” (turns out it’s actually called Bobbejaanland) and the excitement of competing at the National Youth Brass Band Championships in Salford.

There was also the pride of the band being crowned BBC Youth Band of the Year – a huge achievement for Hampshire.

On Christmas Eve, the band played carols in Winchester, with ex-members returning to join in. And yes, I was the kid lugging a giant tuba onto the school bus, much to the annoyance of drivers.

The Influence of Leighton Rich

Leighton was the heart of the band system. He championed individuals, fought for students who made mistakes, and inspired us to aim higher. He also had high standards, if my playing wasn’t up to scratch, he’d say so bluntly. That mix of compassion and toughness stayed with me.

He had a habit of drawing a little pair of glasses on difficult passages of music to remind me to concentrate. And it worked. To this day, I carry his coaching approach: sometimes hard, sometimes soft, always human.

One moment that has always stuck with me was when another member of the band got into serious trouble at school for being caught with marijuana. The school wanted to expel him, and there were suggestions that he should also be removed from the county band. Leighton flatly refused. He argued that music was exactly what this young person needed; a place of structure, belonging, and encouragement and he fought hard to make sure they weren’t cast out. I don’t know what happened at the school, but I do know that Leighton’s support kept them in the band. That episode taught me a powerful lesson: true leadership isn’t about perfection, it’s about compassion and backing people when they need it most.

Sadly, Leighton was diagnosed with cancer. We’d been preparing for a tour to Australia, building on his Olympic connections, but it never happened. He was later awarded an OBE for his contribution to youth music – richly deserved. His death in 2006 was devastating to everyone that knew him, I found it very tough.

The Turning Point

By 18, I was burnt out. Weekly rehearsals, constant practice, competitions, and endless concerts had taken their toll. I appreciated classical music but wasn’t a true fan – by that, I wouldn’t naturally gravitate towards listening to Classical music in my down-time. The thought of joining an adult orchestra felt more like a burden than a joy – sorry everyone.

I also injured my lip badly during Christmas carol season, leaving a scar that still hurts when I try to play. In many ways, that was the natural end of my tuba-playing days.

But the experience gave me more than I could have imagined. I could read music fluently, I learned discipline, teamwork, confidence, resilience and above all, how to perform.

From Orchestras to Rock Bands

Eventually, my focus shifted into rock and metal bands. The difference in style was huge, but I was a far better musician for having had the orchestral background.

Timing, listening, blending with others; these all carried over.

Plenty of others from the Hampshire bands went on to do amazing things too: Andy Burrows of Razorlight, Pete Robertson of The Vaccines, and many more. The band was a melting pot of talent: proof that pressure really does create diamonds.

Looking Back

I’ve barely picked up the tuba in 20 years, aside from party tricks or an anniversary concert that confirmed how rusty I’d become. But I don’t regret any of it.

The band gave me friends, life lessons, and experiences I’ll never forget. It also gave me role models; Tim Norris, Glenn Clark, Duncan Bradley, Jock McKenzie, Allan Mead, Geoffrey Brand, and most of all, Leighton Rich. And of course, my parents, who drove me to rehearsals, paid for instruments, endured the noise, and pushed me to keep going.

Playing in orchestras and brass bands was more than just a childhood hobby. It was an education in discipline, adaptability, and resilience, lessons I carry with me to this day.

TL;DR

Growing up in a musical family, I bounced between instruments before settling on the tuba and joining the Hampshire County Youth Band. Under the mentorship of the inspirational Leighton Rich, I learned lessons that went far beyond music: confidence matters as much as talent, teamwork and circumstance shape opportunities, and discipline builds resilience. Though I burned out by 18 and rarely play now, the experience shaped me as a musician and a person, giving me transferable skills I still use today.