FIELD BAND CHAMPIONSHIPS

PG Bison Buccaneers Field Band from KZN are gearing up for national championships.

On Saturday October 8, the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg will resonate to the sounds of brass, percussion, marimbas and steel drums when the Field Band Foundation (FBF) hold their annual championships. This will be an exhilarating event with the top field bands of South Africa lining up to do battle with each other. Among them will be the PG Bison Buccaneers Field Band from Durban.

The 2011 championships’ main supporter is the Department of Arts and Culture. Proceedings will be opened at 09h00 on October 8 by Paul Mashatile, Minister of Arts and Culture. Following this, Herman Mashaba, Chairman of the FBF, will address the gathering. At 09h30 there will be a special performance of Bands Crossing Borders with participants of the last 10 years in the FK exchange programme.

Bertie and Ronnie Lubner started the Field Band Foundation in 1997 in order to bring the global marching band concept to disadvantaged areas of South Africa. Through participation in band activities, young people who might otherwise have little opportunity for constructive recreational activity are taught the advantages of such things as application, competitiveness, teamwork, discipline and timekeeping. In so doing, they develop heightened self-esteem and associated self confidence

The Foundation’s beneficiaries are youngsters of whom 61% come from households of unemployment, while almost 40% live with single parents or with grandparents or guardians. The average age of band members is 14,6 years old, while 54% are female and 80% have not had prior musical training. The target population is between 7 and 21 years of age, and currently the FBF has +/- 4500 young members in 36 bands across South Africa. Three new bands have started recently: in Emalahleni in the Eastern Cape, the first Field Band to be exclusively supported by the local municipality, Danielskuil in the Northern Cape supported by De Beers and PPC and the brand new Thabazimbi Field Band supported by Anglo American.

While training in musical instrument playing, movement and dance form the core of the Foundation’s activities, band members also receive HIV and Aids peer education; general education in social development; and specific life skills training. Interaction between children from differing racial, linguistic and ethnic groups, and cross-regionally, is facilitated through the holding of national Foundation gatherings and competitions.

Last year the Championships did not take place to allow the FBF members to participate in the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup. This was a momentous experience for over 700 FBF members who performed at the memorable World Cup opening and closing ceremonies.

2010 also saw the Foundation open the Field Band Academy in Eshowe, KwaZulu-Natal and this year there are 60 students attending the Academy.

This year too, supported by FK Norway, five FBF members and five NMF music teachers are spending a year in each other’s countries; and four FBF members will spend three months with the Pioneer Drum Corps in the USA and participate in the Drum Corps International World Championships – thanks to Jonathan and Jennifer Oppenheimer.

De Beers is the biggest corporate supporter of the FBF. Other supporters include the founding supporters, PG Group and PG Bison, the NLDTF, Anglo American, Investec, PPC, Remgro, Royal Bafokeng Holdings, the NAC, Black Like Me and Stefanutti Stocks.

Another 10th anniversary being celebrated this year is the close partnership between the FBF and the Norwegian Band Federation. Over the past decade, this programme has allowed 42 underprivileged young people to spend one year studying at the Toneheim Folkehøy Skule in Norway and they also present master classes in African music, at Norwegian schools all over the country. 55 Norwegian music teachers in this time have spent one year in South Africa teaching youngsters in the FBF programmes. Over 100 Norwegians are expected to come to SA for the 2011 championships. There have been many benefits to our communities through this programme. A number of the FBF youngsters who have been through the Norwegian programme have found employment in the SANDF and Police bands as well as within the FBF.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the championships and celebrations. There is no entry fee. For more information, contact Retha Cilliers at ceo@fieldband.org.za or phone 011 234 9040