Toni began playing the Euphonium at the age of 7, after having spent years marching around the sofa to her Dad’s brass band LP’s! He decided that she should try playing and give the carpet a rest!

After only a couple of weeks she was placed in the youth band of the Lincoln Beever Band Organisation (I have promised not to put any jokes here, so you could make you own up and send them in to us if you want!).

Toni played with the Beevers for 10 years, working her way up to Solo Euphonium in the Senior Band. By this time she was ready to study at University, and chose Huddersfield where she played solo euphonium with Home Silver and then Old Silkstone bands. After 18 months at Huddersfield she accepted the position of 2nd euphonium at Sellers International, where she remained for nearly three years until the band sadly announced it was to fold at the end of 2007.

At the end of her university course in 2006 she became another member of the band to achieve the prestigious Harry Mortimer Award for Brass Player of the Year. 

Toni’s first engagement with Carlton Main was at the Stroud Subscription Rooms, closely followed by the Scottish Open competition. She has already made a great impression in the band (especially with one member!) and hopes to now win a major contest with the band. One of her pet hates is people being late, or making others late – I hope that this can rub off on some other members of the band and that we all turn up on time!