Bank’s masters thesis on the use of tuba in Australian ensembles relates to my

proposed thesis through his argument that Australian brass players have a unique
sound arising from the combination of the use of the hard palate and the nasal
qualities of the Australian accent. This thesis informs my ongoing work in assessing
an Australian Brass Band sound.

The author draws on a range of appropriate books and articles however his Web
resources aren’t varied. There is a significant focus on the Adelaide Sympony
orchestra alone, which limits the applicability of his findings. While the initial book
based research is adequate, his Web research lacks variety as he excludes the
seven other major Australian Orchestras. He also uses a source derived from
“Yahoo answers” which may not be appropriate.

The text does, however, identify the authors of other significant sources and assess
their credibility, listing their application and the background of their authors. This
supports Bank’s thesis’s integrity.

Though Banks does bring his own perspectives to the questions and content of
sources and assesses their implications, he does not stray far from the perspective
of the sources. He seems very reliant on the opinions of other researchers.
Furthermore, while he has provided other’s perspectives, the conclusions made
about them are not very radical. What the author does very well however, is
synthesise information and draw conclusions from multiple sources.

Banks clearly outlines the origin of his sources, particularly his interviews with
various members of the Australian brass community. Unusually, however, they are
included in the body of the thesis rather than in the appendices. This disrupts the
flow significantly, straying far from the original topic. Appendices, referenced as
“personal communications”, would have been more effective, avoiding introduction
of unrelated information.

The author’s research is adequate on the whole, but could have been structured
very differently. The chapters have their own identity and purpose, however some
could have been one chapter rather than two, such as “methodology” and
“interviews.” The writer could have also signposted chapters more efficiently. The
headings blended into the rest of the writing, because they were the same size as
the body, an avoidable format issue.

Perry-Banks outlines his methodology clearly as interviews, followed by historical

analysis, supported by several photographs and clear descriptions of his process.
This leaves no room for doubt that there is extensive research involved, however
Banks occasionally gets “bogged down” in the description of these processes rather
than the significant findings achieved through them. He also works from an
academic standpoint rather than scientific due to the nature of this project. One can
not measure sound, blending and timbre in any quantitative manner. Therefore one
must rely on qualitative description. This research is based squarely in the
humanities, with a core set of academic research principles, rather than self
disciplined practice.
Banks identifies his central concern as undertaking an historical research project,
rather than testing a thesis. His stated aim is to document the use of the tuba in
Australian orchestras and to define the Australian tuba sound. He tracks the
progress of the tuba as an ensemble instrument since its introduction to Australia,
using historical research and some current research into sound quality. The “so
what” argument therefore becomes more interesting when one considers the
process that yielded this result. From the initial research into the brass band and
Salvation Army movement, the author develops an argument that the Australian
sound is defined by the player’s accent. There is an inherent bias here because of
lack of international comparison. This is furthered by the fact that there is a specific
focus on the ASO. This bias is not acknowledged however.

The style of writing is to the point and easy to understand, however it lacks nuance.
Even as an historical analysis one must acknowledge grey areas. Most
perspectives are stated as fact with little counter argument. This leads to a writing
style at times dry and at others pandering. It appears to be an explanation rather
than an engaged academic argument. This resolves as readers feeling that they
have been educated, but that it has been a long and difficult read. The prose is also
dry and clinical at times, further reducing reader engagement because they are not
able to draw their own intellectual conclusion.

This thesis will be instrumental in my own practice due to its research on brass and
the Australian accent. Its theory, that brass sound is dependent on accent, will be
tested throughout my project and hopefully proven/disproven in the context of brass
bands. Therefore it was an extremely useful thesis. However, I will be careful not to
replicate its structure. My objective is to write a thesis which has some
commonality, but is more streamlined, presenting a clearer argument.