Interested in becoming a member?

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.

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, such as arranging rehearsals, running monthly band meetings, responding to gig requests, etc. usually on a yearly basis.

Members should make attending weekly rehearsals and band gigs a priority. We rehearse on Tuesdays from 7pm to 8:30pm, usually in the vicinity of Teele Square in Somerville, MA. We rehearse outdoors or indoors depending on the weather. Anyone can suggest a gig, or a song, or volunteer to lead a rehearsal or a gig. We use the Gig-o-Matic to organize our rehearsals and gigs. We use email and Signal for online communication.

These are the steps to becoming a member:

1. Fill out the prospective member form. In it, you'll be asked to describe your investment in the band's mission and your ability to attend rehearsals. Please seriously consider your commitment before submitting.
2. The prospective member coordinator shares your response with the band, asks if the section is open to new members, and invites the band to voice any concerns.
3. If there are no concerns after ~1 week and the section is open to members, the section selects a mentor to guide you through the audition process. The prospective member coordinator informs you of the decision, and connects you to your mentor.
4. Your mentor interviews you, then the section discusses and decides whether or not to invite you to audition. Your mentor informs you of the section's decision.
5. If invited to audition, you must attend 3 rehearsals (not necessarily consecutively). Your mentor will get you access to our digital song charts prior to the first rehearsal. At the rehearsals, your mentor will help you get oriented.
6. If, after the 3 rehearsals, the section wants to invite you to join, your mentor informs the rest of the band, which then decides whether or not to invite you to join. Your mentor informs you of the band's decision.
7. If you accept an invitation to join, your mentor arranges for you to be added to the band's mailing lists, Signal groups, and the Gig-O-Matic.

If you like our mission, the way we run the band, and can commit to the member's responsibilities, please submit our prospective member form. If you want to know more about the band, please send us an email.