Community bands are facing a crisis, and the music might be fading out! The heart of local communities, these bands, are struggling as vital government funding disappears. Let's dive into the story of how these groups are fighting to keep the music alive. For 90 years, the City of Wollongong Brass and Wind Band has been a beacon of accessible music, keeping membership fees low. But now, the future is uncertain.
"We want to include everybody as much as possible," says Neil Wright, the band's president. It's a sentiment echoed by many. But here's where it gets controversial...The loss of funding is not just a local issue. The Bands Association of NSW (BANSW), representing over 100 community and school bands, has been hit hard. For years, they've relied on state government grants, distributing funds to local bands for essential costs like venue hire, advertising, and instrument repairs.
BANSW's president, Jeff Markham, explains that the funding, though fluctuating, has consistently provided around $55,000 annually for the past decade. "We've had certainty of funding which has allowed us to plan," he says. This certainty allowed bands like Wollongong to fund music camps, workshops, and social media advertising, with a focus on supporting young musicians. "Most of our grants have been towards fostering our young and upcoming players," Mr. Wright explains. "It's good getting particularly the young ones into the organization, but you've got to find ways of wanting them to actually remain as part of the organization."
The Fight for Funding
The latest round of funding, operating under a competitive model, saw over 140 organizations succeed. But BANSW's application was rejected. A spokesperson for Create NSW cited the highly competitive nature of the process, emphasizing that funding is neither ongoing nor guaranteed. They also noted multiple meetings with BANSW to offer support, but the outcome remained the same.
The Impact
Mr. Markham highlights the "significant" impact the funding loss will have, particularly on groups with younger players. "The youth program is a lot of work, it's a lot of expense, and it's a lot of energy," he says. For Wollongong, this means foregoing promotional materials. "Currently, we just do without, and hope people might come up close enough and ask questions," Mr. Wright says. They might also need to re-evaluate membership costs.
Budget Changes and the Future
Without the grant, bands may have to reassess their programs. "Most of the stuff a band does in the community, they don't get paid for it," Mr. Markham explains. Without funding, the burden falls on the band members themselves. "They're all out fundraising, but all those fundraising efforts are all to just keep the doors open," he says. "Everything else extra to that is basically on the members."
Regional Bands at Risk
The Hills Music Academy, with its larger membership of around 100 members, may weather the storm better than smaller, regional groups. Musical director Garry Clark notes that smaller groups could struggle significantly. "A lot of the regional groups would maybe not even be able to function, because numbers are not as high," he says. This could mean fewer events and reduced participation. "We'll [still] put on events, it just means however that we can't subsidise these events … there might be some players who might not be able to attend."
Community Impact
Mr. Clark emphasizes the loss to the community if bands disappear. "Seeing a band out in public performing, marching down the street, playing Christmas carols in a shopping centre, all those little things that bring the community together." Mr. Markham underlines the crucial role of community bands, often being the first introduction to live music and providing music for important life events. "Your community band is quite often the first place that somebody will be introduced to live music," he says. "We play in nursing homes, we play at funerals … and quite often for many people, the community band is the last live music that they see as well."
What do you think? Are community bands essential? Should governments prioritize funding for these groups? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
