West Winds Concert Band, based in inner west Brisbane, plays a wide range of musical styles. Part of the BrizWest Community Music Ensembles Inc, we began life as an Adult Learners Band in January 1998, directed by Koss Siwers, an instrumental teacher. Koss had advertised locally for "Adults who want to play in a learners band – bring your instrument, a willingness to learn, and a sense of humour".
That initial group of about 30 players had a lot of fun as we developed our skills and music knowledge. We now have two bands: the West Winds Concert Band (previously the BrizWest Concert Band) and the Kate Street Big Band (previously the Kate Street Mob Jazz Band, or KSM). These days, our players range from semi-professionals to mid-level amateurs, and from senior citizens to students. Some of the original learners still play with us. Both bands aim to entertain our audience with a high standard of performance.
Jodie Brighton, our music director, graduated in 2008 from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Music, majoring in clarinet performance. Jodie was lead clarinetist in the UQ Concert Band and the UQ Orchestra. She then completed a Graduate Diploma in Education, moved back to Bundaberg, her hometown, to begin teaching. She was playing the euphonium in the Bundaberg Municipal Brass Band when she was offered the role of band director for the Brass Academy. In early 2015, Jodie moved on to become musical director for the Bundaberg Municipal Brass Band No.1. In 2017, Jodie and her husband Eli relocated to Brisbane. Jodie currently teaches instrumental music for Education Queensland, as well as teaching students privately on the clarinet, saxophone and in music theory.
For the Sherwood Festival, we will be performing a mix of our favourite music with a sprinkling of Christmas tunes.
Find out more at https://www.brizwestensembles.org
