“From where I see it, brass bands are a great example of a community coming together through music,” award-winning composer, musician and producer Shri Sriram told us prior to his address at this year’s Brass Band Conference.
Shri is best-known within banding for his collaboration with Hammonds Band for the cutting-edge 2016 project ‘Just a Vibration’, which brought Indian classical music influences to the traditional brass band. But his origins in music begin in Mumbai as a tabla player, before he developed his unique-style with his self-made fretless bass.
It was his story of tradition and rebellion in the pursuit of new sounds, alongside his status as one of the pioneers of the Asian Underground scene, which made him the perfect keynote speaker for a day centred around the theme of “Creative Communities”.
Now available to watch in full via BBE’s Youtube channel, Shri discusses how cultural heritage, community, and musical innovation can create powerful, memorable art that resonates across audiences. The keynote will talk you through the power of cross-cultural collaboration, with Shri stating his view that “Diversity enhances society; it allows things to grow and eventually becomes a new tradition.”
Collaboration is key
During the Keynote, Shri also talked listeners through the creation of ‘Just a Vibration’, which won the BASCA British Composer Award. The project included an outreach element with young players from Bradford Music Service and South Asian Arts-uk. An organic collaboration which grew from the initial work with Hammonds, the project culminated with over 70-players on stage threading together the traditional sounds of brass with the traditional sounds of classical Indian music.
On the subject of collaboration, Shri emphasised that bands shouldn’t be daunted by the prospect of approaching a potential new partnership but instead “sit down to have a chat [...] and let them know you.”
Bands looking to work with artists of all mediums may be interested in our award-winning Elevate programme, the next round of which will open for application on Monday 10 February.
Catch up on Conference sessions
In addition to Shri Sriram’s keynote address, additional sessions from The Brass Band Conference 2024 are available via the Member Resource library, where members can catch up on sessions from experts on all things fundraising, inclusive partnerships, and bringing brass to the national stage.