Each week more than 250 brass and percussion students attend the Music Centre to participate in one of the relevant groups. The groups are four brass bands which rehearse on Thursday, three wind bands on Monday, two orchestras incorporating brass ensembles on Tuesday, a swing band and jazz group on Wednesday and two percussion ensembles on Friday. All the groups are graded according to ability. Each group takes part in at least three public performances each year, details of which are published in the Music Centre calendar of events. Most children are initially invited to join the Elementary Brass Band which is held on Thursday or the Percussion Ensemble on Friday.
At the end of each academic year selected students are invited to audition at the Music Centre. This audition together with information supplied by their teacher, group conductor and through conversation with the student is used to decide whether they are ready to move to a more advanced group within the structure. Successful students in the Elementary Brass Band would move to either the Training Brass Band or Training Wind Band and from there would move to the Intermediate Brass Band, Intermediate Wind Band, Intermediate Orchestra and Brass Ensemble or the Swing Band.
The most advanced students will eventually be offered a place in one or more of the following senior groups: Music Centre Youth Brass Band, Youth Wind Band, Youth Orchestra and Brass Ensemble and Jazz Orchestra. These groups have nationally recognised standing having made countless appearances at the Royal Festival Hall, Symphony Hall and the Bridgewater Hall as part of the National Festival of Music for Youth. In November 1996 the Youth Brass Band were invited to appear at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Schools Prom, the Youth Orchestra the same in 1998, the ultimate accolade for any youth group. In recent years all the youth groups have taken part in foreign tours to Germany, France, Austria, Gibraltar, USA, Prague and Belgium. The Youth Brass Band participating in brass band contests has achieved many successes on the famous Whit Friday and in the National Youth Brass Band Championships of Great Britain.
Percussion students can attend the Percussion Ensemble. Percussion ensembles have performed at the National Festival of Music for Youth.
As can be seen from the above, the Brass and Percussion Department is an extremely active and exciting one and offers all its students the opportunity to play a wide range of music from a number of different genres to the highest possible standards together with other young people who share a common interest.