THANK YOU for our 2023 Holiday BrassFest!

We loved playing with you again this year! Stay tuned for our 2024 Holiday BrassFest announcement. Until then… we hope to see you at our February 4, 2024 Sound Summit.

What’s new in 2023?

In 2020, Denver Brass added two new carols to our longstanding five-part Carol Book. The new pieces, “Jolly Old St. Nicholas” and “Up on the Housetop,” are available as a digital download bundle for those who already own a copy of the BrassFest Carol Book. Perhaps your book has seen better days, and you’ve been delaying buying a replacement - well, this year would be a good year to finally upgrade!

Plus a collaboration with SmartMusic!

SmartMusic is a web-based suite of music education tools that support efficient practice, helping musicians to develop and grow. Denver Brass is pleased to announce that our Holiday BrassFest book will be available on SmartMusic through paid subscription.

SmartMusic gives users a plethora of practice tools, such as a tuner, metronome, fingerings, and tools to loop and record built in. Users can also play along with a recording of the Denver Brass 5, allowing you to model your sound after the very best! We highly recommend participants to set up a free account to give SmartMusic a try.

“How do I register?”

Registration will open on the Denver Brass website this fall. Sign up for our emailing list to stay in the loop.

Basic Registration: $17
This will include access to BrassFest on December 9th. This is a good option for those who already have the carol book and only need to buy the two new pieces or for participants interested in using their SmartMusic subscription.

Registration plus Digital Download Carol Book: $32
This option will include registration for the event as well as a PDF copy of the new carol book. This is a good option for first-time participants, for returning attendees looking to replace their old book, or for SmartMusic users who’d like to access a digital copy of the book. For those looking to take their practicing to the next level, you can get your own mp3 play-along tracks for just $10 more.

“What’s the deal with the button?”

Every in person participant will receive the collectible 2023 BrassFest pin at the event. Participants are encouraged to wear their pins and festive clothing.

“Who can participate?”

Everyone is welcome! BrassFest is always a family event, our participants range in age from 6-96 and include multi-generational families, school groups, amateurs, and professionals.

FAQs

REGISTRATION

Do I need an email address to attend?

Yes. This will be our main contact point for you for BrassFest 2023. We will use it to send you invites and updates. 

I’ve attended before, do I really need to buy a whole new book?

No! If you already have a book from a previous BrassFest, all you need to do is buy the BrassFest Book Add-On Digital Download. Don’t forget to register to get your Zoom link. You’ll need the Registration Only option.

Do I need to buy the book if it’s available for free on SmartMusic?

That is up to you! However, a few things to remember:

• After December 6, the BrassFest Book will only be available to SmartMusic subscribers and will no longer be available on the free side of SmartMusic. If you’d like to keep playing the carols throughout the rest of the month, you’ll need to either pay for a SmartMusic Subscription, or have your own book.

• You can easily use SmartMusic as a practice tool to supplement your practice sessions with your own copy of the book. SmartMusic will allow you to focus on just your part, whereas you can see how your part fits in with the other voices in the quintet in the printed copy of the book. If you are still learning how to read music, playing along with SmartMusic will keep you from getting lost. There’s a little blue line that moves with the beat to keep you on track; it’s like musical karaoke. 

• Having your own printed copy of the book allows you to make practice notes in the music. You can mark where to breathe, when to start crescendos, and circle those accidentals that you might have missed. This is a valuable learning tool! Even the pros make notes in their music.

We heartily recommend that you buy your own book as well as use SmartMusic to enhance your practice sessions. These two tools can be used together very effectively.

I’ve never used SmartMusic before - what do I do?

Check out this helpful tutorial on how to get started on SmartMusic, put together by our Executive Director, Becky Wilkins.