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Dave Howard is a fourth generation “brass bander” and a true bandsman. He started playing cornet with Cwmbran Band in South Wales at the age of 6, progressing to become principal cornet and then solo euphonium in his early teens. He also held the position of principal baritone in the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain.
After leaving school he began working at the BBC as a sound engineer and took a sabbatical from playing in the late 1980s to spend more time with his young family. During this time he devised and ran the ‘Welsh Brewers Brass Band Entertainment Contest’, produced a weekly radio programme called “Sounding Brass” and resurrected the “Radio Wales Brass Band of the Year Competition”.
When his children started playing, he took them to their local band in Cardiff, where he also started playing again and joined the committee. Whilst Chairman of the band, he instigated the change of name to “City of Cardiff (Melingriffith)”, the formation of a second band (M2) and a training band which he conducted. More recently he was conductor of the organisation's "community" band.
Dave recently moved to Towcester to be closer to family. Having retired from the ‘day job’, banding is now his main occupation and as well as playing bass at Towcester Studio Band, he is very excited to be conducting again.