In the old stone building Nykirken in Bergen, the Lungegaarden music corps has its regular Monday practice. There are carpets beyond the rows of pews, an attempt to muffle some of the sound in the large church room. The effect is rather small. Several of the musicians use earplugs to reduce the risk of hearing damage. For the same reason, the band does not dare to play as loudly as they would like, which in turn can affect their performance in competitions. The Janissary Corps currently competes in the 2nd division. – There is too much noise in here. The room is very nice for concerts, but not for rehearsals. I even use earplugs in here to take care of my hearing, says band leader Wenche Hatlestad, who plays bass trombone in the band. Must transport, rig up and rig down The corps has been practicing here since September. Then they had to move out of the old news building in Bergen, where they previously practiced in an old TV studio. The rent was raised and the corps could not afford to stay. Hatlestad says that the corps now has instruments and equipment stored in three different warehouses. Thus, everything has to be collected and transported to and from Nykirken every time. . – It is cumbersome not being able to have everything in one place, she says. This also means that the corps has to set up and take down all its equipment at every rehearsal, which steals a lot of rehearsal time. Constant moving of the instruments causes wear and tear Photo: Mia Størksen / news – Not enough space for all the bands Kjersti Tubaas, secretary general of the Norwegian Music Corps Association (NMF), says poor rehearsal conditions for bands are a big problem across the country. – In general, there is a big challenge with good enough rooms, but also a problem that there is not enough space for the corps at all, she says. In Bergen, there are countless sports facilities, but only eight cultural centers. In most of these, events have the rank. Few people can prioritize practice time. Tubaas fears the problems will affect his desire to do band and music. – Practicing is about having motivation for things to get better. If you practice something that sounds bad, you lose motivation. Corps is a popular leisure activity, and for that arena to continue to develop, we need good practice arenas, says the general secretary. According to NMF, there are many corps all over the country who struggle with ill-suited premises. Photo: Mia Størksen / news – But does the practice room have any effect on performance? – We see a connection between how it goes with the bands that have access to good arenas, versus the bands that have crappy rehearsal rooms, says Tubaas. Betting on money and hard work The NMF boss is courting the politicians in the hope of better relations in the long term. – Municipal public arenas must be made available for leisure activities, at the same time planning must be done when building new ones. Arrangements must be made for, for example, the corps to enter the premises, she says. – What is needed for a venue to be suitable for a band? – Good acoustics, among other things, says Hatlestad. There is a lot of noise in the church, and several people use earplugs to dampen the sound. Photo: Mia Størksen / news Conductor Eirik Gjerdevik believes the solution is simple. – If an old sports hall had been split up, we would have had everything we had in our old practice room. We could customize it ourselves. That is what is so good about corps, that there is so much spirit of service. We just need the building, he says. – There just needs to be money on the table. Rotevatn: – Translated for many years Storting representative and deputy leader of the Liberal Party, Sveinung Rotevatn, is a corps enthusiast. He is upset about the conditions under which the Lungegaardens and other corps practice. – This is something that has unfortunately been overlooked for many years. It is easy to direct a band to practice in a church or a gymnasium. But acoustics are a central part of making music. In the worst case, it can be harmful, says Rotevatn. He reacts strongly to the fact that the musicians have to fear for their hearing in order to be able to do what they love. – It shouldn’t be like that. If you’re wearing earplugs to protect your hearing, that’s a disadvantage. It’s more difficult to play when you’re wearing earplugs. He believes that the municipalities must take action and prioritize funding for practice rooms on the same level as instruments and conductors. – Norway has a strong and proud corps tradition, but here far greater attention is needed from the municipalities, who are, after all, responsible here. The government: – Not enough State Secretary Even Aleksander Hagen (Ap) in the Ministry of Culture and Equality says the government is aware that many corps do not have access to suitable premises. Hagen says an allocation of NOK 30 million for the decentralized scheme for regional cultural buildings is an attempt to improve the situation. – Municipalities, counties and national level must work together to ensure access to suitable cultural premises. That’s why the government gives grants to improve practice rooms all over the country, says Hagen.
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– Great challenge to find space for the corps – news Vestland
