Grants from their supporters – including Bega Lions, Bega Rotary and Bendigo Bank – have allowed the community band to upgrade their instruments, buying a new trombone and three second-hand cornets. 

The instruments that have been replaced are now available to anyone who wants to learn or play, and band members John Winson ad David Moore hope that young musicians with take advantage of the offer. 

“We want to encourage music in kids and help them develop their skills,” Mr Moore said. 

“I’m always amazed at the number of kids that are playing in our region, but it is important they are able to connect with each other by feeding into a community band.”

Members of the Bega District Band currently teach and mentor you musicians through school programs at Tathra Public School, Bega Valley Public School, St Patricks Primary and Sapphire Coast Anglican College.

The band currently loans a trombone and a trumpet to Bega Valley Public School.  

Mr Moore said he would like to see young musicians from across the schools come together on a regular basis to practice playing together.

“A monthly youth band event would offer a more cohesive approach to music in our region and hopefully reduce the amount of kids that stop playing when they move from primary to high school,” he said. 

Mr Winson added that building strong connections between musicians from a young age was an effective way to ensure the future of the Bega District Band. 

“The Bega District Band has been going since 1899, we’d like to see it go a lot longer that that,” he said. 

“A lot of country bands have disappeared off the map, we don’t want ours to do the same.”

 Mr Moore said there were many benefits of joining a band for young people.

“It provides an enormous amount of enjoyment, the whole team feeling is really important, that sense of togetherness that kids also develop through sports,” he said.  

Mr Moore said the most rewarding aspect of being in the band was the chance to entertain others and contributed to the community.