Welcome
to my home page - I'm Frank Culross, arranger, composer (see www.difem.ch
for publications) and producer, and currently musical director of Tayport
Instrumental Band. I didn't always play trombone though, as my first
brass instrument was a baritone horn [by the way, that's me on the right,
with a bit more hair than I have today!]. I'm a member of both the British
Trombone Society and the National Association of Brass Band Conductors
(NABBC). Like many others, it seemed the logical thing to do with music qualifications was class teaching. After attending the postgraduate music teaching course at Trent Park (Middlesex Polytechnic) and being subjected to the experience of having to be rescued from a remedial class by the head of PE while on teaching practice in Waltham Abbey, I realised that teaching was not for me - well, not at that time of my life anyway! For some time after that, I continued to play in various dance and show bands, some big, some small. However, as there was more work to be had as a guitarist/vocalist (which I also did at the time), I found myself increasingly occupied in this role. My poor old King 4B trombone eventually became more of an ornament than an instrument, and some considerable time was to elapse before I would play it again! |
 |
It wasn't until my youngest son
Iain took up the trumpet at school that I got involved again - mum Jane saw
an article in the paper saying that our oldest surviving local band Dundee Instrumental
Band was struggling for players (they were down to around 6!) and were desperately
seeking new members to keep the band alive. Jane thought this would be good
for Iain's playing, so I was promptly sent along to a rehearsal to see how they
felt about a 9 year old joining! Of course, they asked if I played and I said
"well, I used to, but that was years ago!" - I'd barely finished the sentence
when there was a trombone in my hands!
Of course, once they heard how good I was (shouldn't that be bad?), I was promptly
promoted to conductor! (actually, not having played for so long, I developed
a massive chest infection and when I went along one night and couldn't play,
I was presented with the baton!). Of course, young Iain did get to join the
band, and worked his way from the back row to principal cornet, then on to bigger
things elsewhere! - you'll find out more about Iain at his web
site ). Jane wasn't getting off that easily either. First, she was roped
in on percussion, then later took up the tenor horn - a big step for a woodwind
teacher!
Within a couple of years, Dundee Instrumental Band were competing again and
in 2001, gained promotion to the 3rd section. They now enjoy large attendances
with over 30 members of all ages and a set of gleaming new instruments and uniforms
and are looking forward to the next 100 years! It's nice to be able to say I
played a small part in helping to resurrect the local band I'd briefly played
in as a teenager.
Since then I've continued my playing - it seems to be more fun when you do it
in a purely amateur capacity! I've also conducted a variety of bands and worked
as resident conductor to well known composer/arranger Alan Fernie while he was
MD of Buckhaven and Methil Band. Until fairly recently, as Iain's cornet playing
career continued to develop, all my own musical activities had to fit in with
my duties running "Dad's Taxi Service" (sound familiar anyone? - now
he's established as a musician in his own right, my taxi is getting less miles
put on the clock!).
For any trombone buffs reading this, that's my old Conn 88H Artist in the picture
- more recently, it's been replaced by a new 8H with dual bore slide and interchangeable
lead pipes. I use a Bach 4 mouthpiece for most work, but also carry a Jet Tone
Urbie Green mouthpiece for high big band parts (or old orchestral alto trombone
parts). I also have a battered old Holton TR181 bass trombone (twin independent
rotors) which I play using a Bach 2G mouthpiece. I usually set it on Bb/F/G
tuning - that way, I can play a Bb major scale without using the slide (not
that I ever need to!).
