The Junior Band Program of the Box Hill City Band was begun in 1995 by Alwaynne Strenz. It started with one band, Whitehorse Brass, and just kept on growing, eventually including two Junior Brass bands, and three Stage Bands, all of which were conducted and run by Alwaynne. The band program owes a great deal to Alwaynne, and to the parents who have helped him over the thirteen years he ran it.
Whitehorse Brass is a junior brass band made up primarily of secondary school students (and some primary school students), who either live or go to school in Whitehorse. The band regularly competes in the Victorian State Brass and Concert Band Championships in junior B grade, and has one the championship a number of times. The Band also sometimes competes in the National Band Championships.
Whitehorse Brass annually marches in the ANZAC Day March, and performs at other concerts throughout the year.
The Band gives its members a chance to play music outside of the concert band they may have at their school, and gives them a wider experience of music. The Band helps instill a lifelong love of music, that will keep them enjoying it, whether or not they continue studying music in years to come.
The conductor of Whitehorse Brass is Doug Lewis. Doug is currently studying Euphonium at the University of Melbourne, and is himself a former member of both Whitehorse Junior Brass, and Whitehorse Brass, and currently plays with Box Hill City Band and WASABI Big Band, as well as a number of other ensembles.
The Band rehearses every Wednesday afternoon during the school term, from 5:30 till 6:30, at 411 Middleborough Rd, Box Hill.
For contact details, please visit our Contact, Location and Bookings page.
The Whitehorse Junior Brass Ensemble is the training ground for all the other bands in the program. Made up of young brass, percussion, and electric bass students, it gives the members a chance to enjoy and learn about music in a more brass orientated setting than they may have in their school music programs. All the current players are either in primary school (particularly Blackburn and Laburnum Primary Schools), or early high school, and the band provides them with an opportunity to experience a greater variety of music.
The band has achieved some very good results in the junior C grade of both the State and National championships. However, the size and ability of the band fluctuates a great deal, as new players join the band, and more senior players recieve the "golden handshake", and gradauate to Whitehorse Brass.
For contact details, please visit our Contact, Location and Bookings page.