Why is brass the best section?
I’ve played brass my whole life. I started with the trumpet when I was little, holding an instrument that was almost as big as my ambitions. Three years later, I moved to flugelhorn, and not long after that, I switched again, this time to euphonium. Apparently, I like instruments that require a lot of air and a lot of stubbornness. I grew up going to music schools where you had to earn your place. Competition was present even in the air we breathed. Every chair, every solo, every performance mattered, and everyone was constantly trying to prove themselves. It was intense, but it also taught me to love the challenge of music and the feeling of working hard to make something beautiful.
Brass, however, was always a very male-dominated section. That meant I not only had to fight to reach the same level as everyone else, but I also had to prove that I deserved to be there in the first place. Sometimes, some comments made me feel like I didn’t belong in brass, like it wasn’t meant for girls. I heard things that made me question whether I should continue at all. But in the end, the joy of playing always won. I kept practicing, kept showing up, and kept choosing brass.
In my last year of music school, I won a contest to play as the soloist with the band. It was one of the proudest moments in my musical career. But even then, some people asked if I really deserved it. How could others have lost against me—a girl? Even after all the effort, people still thought that maybe I didn’t quite belong in brass.
That’s why the Harvard University Band Brass Section is so special to me.
HUB brass is genuinely the first music group where I, as a woman brass player, have felt completely included as just another member of the section. No distinction has ever been made between any of the players in brass. No assumptions, no questioning, no “exceptions.” Just musicians playing together and having fun. And that will continue to be the spirit of this section.
Beyond that, brass is simply the most fun section in the band. Everyone knows the party doesn’t really start until brass joins. If there’s a loud chord to blast, a dramatic entrance, or a moment that needs a little extra energy, we are always ready. We are the section that brings the sound, the enthusiasm, and sometimes the chaos (the good kind).
Our cut traditions are obviously the best—no debate there. And the fact that so many student conductors come from the brass section has to mean something. Maybe it’s the confidence that comes from playing instruments that can shake the room, or maybe it’s just that brass players like to be heard. Either way, we somehow always end up at the center of the action.
But what really makes brass the best section isn’t just the volume, the traditions, or the reputation. It’s the people. Brass players have a special kind of camaraderie. We celebrate each other’s successes, laugh through mistakes, and support each other both in and outside of rehearsal. There’s something about sharing stands, breaths, and ridiculous inside jokes that turns a group of musicians into a family.
So, to answer the question: brass is the best section because it goes beyond anything people imagine when they think about music. It’s not just about the notes we play — it’s about the community we build around them.
HUB brass is the family I am most proud to be a part of.
And if you ever need proof that brass is the best section… just listen for the loudest, happiest sound in the band room.
0 Comments