NYBBGB masterclass from Adoo
The inspirational former professional trumpeter, Dr Clarence Adoo MBE, is to give a masterclass to members of The National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain (NYBBGB). The masterclass will be delivered during the Youth Brass Band’s forthcoming Easter Course, which due to the ongoing pandemic, will be a mix of virtual and physical performances and educational opportunities. The inspirational webinar will also be open to members of the public. To sign up simply follow this link and complete the short form.
The Youth Band’s Easter Course will take place between 4th and 6th April and following the Government’s latest advice on Covid-19, the three live days will be held during the Spring half-term. The gala concert will be broadcast on Friday 18th June.
Clarence, who in 1995 was involved in a tragic car accident which left him paralysed from the neck down, is a campaigner for disabled people in the North East of England. He played a key role in the design for disabled people of the SAGE, Gateshead, and is a special advisor to NYBBGB, with a focus on diversity and disability. Although Clarence is no longer a full-time musician, he now plays the Headspace, an electronic instrument that was created specially for him.
A committed Christian, Clarence grew up within a Christian foster family in Essex, where he first took an active interest in music. At the age of six, he joined the Young People's Salvation Army band where he began to learn to play the cornet, and later went on to study trumpet at the Royal College of Music. He then worked as a freelance musician in a range of genres, from pop, jazz (with Courtney Pine and the Jazz Warriors), to classical (including contemporary music with the London Sinfonietta). Then in 1992, Clarence moved to Newcastle to take up a contract with Royal Northern Sinfonia.
Clarence Adoo is thrilled to have the opportunity to share with members of the National Youth Brass Band, his electronic instrument Headspace. This instrument has provided him with a valuable niche in the music profession which has challenged many barriers, traditions and musicians worldwide in Diversity and Inclusion in the arts, which could affect us all. Mark Bromley, CEO of the NYBBGB added: “NYBBGB is an organisation that gives young people the opportunity to experience the best of music making and we are working hard to make what we do accessible to more people. Clarence exemplifies what we are about. This presentation to members of the band, promises to be something really special. I’m sure the young people will find Clarence’s talk truly inspirational, and to value music in all its forms.”
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