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BBJ sends band trainer to Surabaya!

On Friday May 17, 2013 BBJ sent the first of a series of band trainers to Surabaya to form a brass band at a Salvation Army corps (church) in the city. Tuba player Fernando Kaloko (Nando) will spend up to two years teaching music to church members in his spare time while working in the East Javanese city.

Nando was accompanied by BBJ deputy bandmaster Erjoin Marbun, who officially handed over second hand musical instruments purchased in Singapore to local leaders. These instruments have been provided on loan. Should the project at Corps 4 be successful, they will then be donated to the church.

Trombone player Sekhi will be joining Nando in Surabaya at the end of June. Like Nando, he will also be working in Surabaya and teaching music in his spare time. Three BBJ cornet players are scheduled to join Nando and Sekhi in October. Erjoin returned to Medan on May 20.

BBJ tuba player Lasnointer Marbun is already in the process of establishing an SA band in Yogyakarta. Read about it here.

Music Exams

Special auditions were held on Feb 1,2 & 3 2013 for members of the beginners band and the senior band. BBJ beginners band members were tested for entry into the junior band, while junior band members were hoping to gain entry into the senior band. Each candidate had to pass a theory and practical test.

Of the 12 beginners band members, all but one was promoted. 14 out of 17 junior band members also made it into the senior band. Supplementary tests held in May for those who did not make the grade resulted in several more being accepted.

Newly promoted junior and senior band members got their membership badges at a special ceremony during the church service on March 3.

In June (2013), BBJ opens registration in Medan for all those interested in joining another beginners band. Large numbers are expected to sign up for the limited places!

BBJ Christmas Carolling 2012

BBJ began Christmas carolling on December 9th with a performance at Medan's Sun Plaza watched by a large crowd of shoppers. There will also be performances at Hermes Place hotel on December 13th and 20th

Successful Concert!

BBJ's concert on July 14 2012 included special performances by the Salvation Army's Adelaide Congress Hall (ACH) Band. After a joint concert at Medan's Emerald Garden Hotel, the two bands travelled to Parapat (Lake Toba) for a second performance on July 16. Other activities involving ACH included separate music exchanges with BBJ's junior and senior bands. You can see pictures of the concert in Medan, as well as the band's trip to Lake Toba with ACH, in the photo gallery.

Click here to read more about the July 14 concert.

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MEDAN BAND (BBJ)

Members

Details: Category: Members; Published on Thursday, 14 January 2010 19:29; Written by Bruce Gale; Hits: 3592

Current Members
The pioneers

Current Members

There are currently (July 2011) 33 members in the Brass Band Jenderal (BBJ), with ages ranging from 12 to 32. All come from very poor backgrounds or single parent families. Until very recently, all the players were also current or former members of the William Booth Salvation Army boys home in Medan, Indonesia. However, in February 2010 we admitted our first female member (Friska) after she passed the entrance test. In July 2011 Friska left for Jakarta to enter the Salvation Army's Training college for officers (pastors).

There is also a 17-member junior band.

No-one gets special privileges.

There very few formal rules. However, failure to attend band practice without an acceptable reason can result in (usually temporary!) loss of membership. The band also maintains a philosophy of strict equality of rights. No one gets special treatment or privileges because of his age or ability, not even the leaders!

The membership of the band has varied over the years as new members come in and older ones leave. Here is a list of members as of July 2011:

Corps Officer: Major Pastika

Music Director: Dr Bruce Gale

Bandmaster: Danias Karosekali

Soprano: Yunus Marbun %

Solo Cornet: Putra Imanta Karosekali #, Jastis Bago, Ganda Sinaga, Nobuala Halawa +

1^st Cornet: Esron Tumaggangor, Pekni Eli Warae, .Iuventius Telambanua, Esron Tumanggor

2^nd Cornet: Tommy Laia, Yasahati Laia

Flugel Horn: Nogarisno Laia

1^st Horn: Doddy Sutanto Tampubolon #

2^nd Horn: Friska Weni, Karlinus Laia

1^st Baritone: David Hartawan #, Dedi Agusta Purba

2^nd Baritone: Alman Marbun, Irfan

1^st Trombone: Yudhykana Laia, Yohannes Morry #

2^nd Trombone: Sekhi Athur Halawa, Eko Saputra Simbolon

Euphonium: Erjoin Marbun @, Berri Saptian Purba

Bass Eb: Lasnointer Marbun #, Rokky Tarigan, Fernando Kaloko, Manatar Sigalingging

Bass Bb: Semro Manatap Sirait, William Stefi Waruhu
Percussion: Charles Kaloko #, Sabarman Laia

@ = Deputy Bandmaster

# = Section Leader
+ = Band Sargeant
% = Librarian

The photograph below was taken in Medan in early November 2005, a couple of weeks before the band began the Malaysia/Singapore tour. I am in the front row (centre). On my right is the superintendent of the Boys Home at the time (Major Spener). His wife is on my left.

Go Top

The Pioneers

Things were quite different when we first began. Here is a photograph taken around 1987, showing the pioneer members of the band. At that time the band had only been in existence for a few months, so we could only play a few simple hymn tunes. Notice the absence of a tuba. I hadn't been able to obtain one at that point, so I got the euphonium player (extreme right) to play the tuba part instead.

The band relies heavily on donations.

The arrangement served our needs for about a year until the Kuala Lumpur Salvation Army in Malaysia donated an old one. In fact, almost all the band's first instruments were provided by the Malaysians. Since then, most of our instruments (all second hand) have been donated by well-wishers in the Salvation Army in Singapore and Australia. Over the years, I have also bought quite a lot myself. I am on the left of the photograph holding the baton.

Our first bandmaster (remember, I live in Singapore and can only travel to Medan every three or four months) was Posma Hutabarat. He was later sponsored to a local university by Michael Hall (a Briton who also had an interest in the band). Posma is now a fully qualified medical doctor living in Java. Did I mention that these boys were smart? Here is an early photograph of him: