How We Work

“The Good Trouble Brass Band is a large, not-for-profit, “raucous, stomp-your-foot-and-belt-out-the-choruses” activist New Orleans-style street band based in Somerville and Cambridge, Massachusetts.” Our mission is to fight for social justice causes and support community events while having fun and spreading joy through our music.

The Good Trouble Brass Band was born in 2003 under the name of the Second Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band when an ad hoc group of musicians played together with Bread and Puppet Theater in a march opposing the beginning of the Iraq war. Trudi and John are founding members still with the band. The first HONK! Festival was dreamed up and organized in 2006 by five members of SLBB.

Over the years the band has supported many progressive causes including:

• SEIU fight for 15 rallies
• The Women’s March
• The Dyke March and Pride Parade
• The Climate March in NYC

In the past we have performed at:

• The Honk Festival
• Pronk (Providence, RI)
• HonkTx (Austin TX)
• Honk Fest West (Seattle)
• Sbandata (Rome, Italy)
• Les Fanfaronnades de Trentemoult (Nantes, France) Crash Detroit (Detroit, MI)
• Honk NYC (New York, NY)

Our primary musical and cultural inspiration is the American NOLA brass band experience, and our repertoire draws heavily on that long tradition. But we also feel a kinship with (and borrow repertoire from) the larger American folk and town band traditions, as well as the rich and vast post-colonial explosion of indigenous brass bands and protest music the world over. Ragtime to klezmer to hip hop, no genre or musical inspiration is off-limits.

Anyone who wants to suggest a new tune needs to provide sheet music and/or a recording in advance of our first run-through whenever possible, and agrees to lead that part of rehearsal.

We have an extensive book with scores and links to us or others playing our songs at secondlinebrassband.org/book.

The Book is divided into 4 sections:

• Developing Arrangements: songs that are in the works
• The Ready List: songs that we can do at a gig without working on beforehand.
• The Dusty List: songs that we know but need to run through before performing.
• The Vault: songs that we used to play, songs that we tried but that didn’t click.

New members should focus on the songs on the Ready List.

Rehearsals are called weekly by the Rehearsal Coordinators. Rehearsal begins at 7:00 sharp every Tuesday night and are held at CALA at 1060 Broadway, Somerville, MA. Rehearsal should be your priority on Tuesday evenings. During COVID times we try to rehearse outside when possible but otherwise inside the building.

The Rehearsal Coordinators set up a gig for each rehearsal (usually several in advance) in the gig-o-matic. Band members should indicate in the gig-o if they are coming. Rehearsal Coordinators send out a call for tune suggestions and compile a setlist that is a combination of the requests and 3 tunes (in sequential alphabetical order) from our Ready List.

At least 24 hour e-mail notice is required to cancel for weather, or to suggest a change of venue. Any changes or cancellations will be posted on the front door of the Church.

Sectionals

Once a month we take part of a practice for section breakouts.

Leading Tunes During Rehearsal

All members are encouraged to practice tune leading during rehearsals. Most of our repertoire have written forms to follow which are linked to next to each tune on the book web page.

Band Roles 2023

Organization

We have no leader, and all musical and other decisions are made democratically by discussion and voting with a desire for consensus. In the absence of a leader, and knowing that everyone’s availability is different and changing, members volunteer to take on different leadership roles as listed below. Some roles are up for renewal every year in July but if you are interested in working on a particular task feel free to contact those who are currently listed to offer!

Participation

Full-time members

Full time members agree to keep their availability for rehearsals and gigs updated on the gig-o-matic. Anyone can suggest a gig, or a song, or volunteer to lead a rehearsal or performance, and is encouraged to seek help and guidance from other band members. Full time members should make weekly rehearsal attendance and band gigs a priority but subject to your availability.

Occasional Members

Occasional members are members who have left the band in good standing (alumni) but wish to be able to play with the band occasionally. Their names stay on gig-o-matic marked as occasional and when gigs are setup one can choose to invite or not invite occasional members.

Prospective Members

If a prospective member contacts the band but the section doesn’t currently need another member the prospective member's name can be added to our Prospective Members Spreadsheet for future consideration. At other times due to attrition or general need, and there are no candidates in the Spreadsheet, a section and/or the band can start searching for a candidate and when one is found the following process is followed:

1. When a prospective member contacts the band they are pointed to the band’s mission statement and are requested to seriously consider their commitment to that statement.
2. If the prospect is still interested, the appropriate section is informed of the prospect’s interest.
3. That section decides on whether to invite the prospect and then decides who should be their mentor to help them get oriented, help with repertoire where necessary, and explain to them, with regrets, if they don’t work out.
4. The band as a whole is informed of the process and invited to let the mentor know if they have any concerns.
5. If there are no concerns, the prospect is invited to 3 rehearsals.
6. If, after the 3 rehearsals, the section has approved the new member then the band as a whole has a chance to discuss the matter and decides whether or not to invite the prospective member to join.
7. The prospect’s mentor informs the prospect of the band’s decision.
8. If approved, the mentor arranges for the prospect to be added to the mail list and Gig-O-Matic.

Occasional Members or Alumni participation

Occasional Members or Alumni are folks who have left the band in good standing but would like to occasionally play with us. They are always welcome to do so based on the following criteria:

• Let the band know ahead of time that they will be joining us so that the gig leader can deal with any concerns they might have.
• Familiarize themselves with the set list to establish those tunes that they will be able to participate in and those they will have to lay out for.
• Dress in the band attire as specified on the gig-o.
• Sign up on the Gig-o as an “occasional” and indicate that they will be there.

Guest Players

Guest Players should be asked to do the following:

• Contact the band well before the gig so that the affected section and the band can collectively decide whether this is desirable.
• Familiarize themselves with the set list to establish those tunes that they will be able to participate in and those they will have to lay out for.
• Dress in the band attire as specified on the gig-o.
• Only participate in the sessions/gigs/parades that the band has agreed to.
• Exceptions are allowable if, at least, the gig leader and the affected section members are in agreement.