The Lions Debut Band is the starting point of the Lions Youth Brass organisation. The band accepts children, aged six and up, who are just starting on their journey to learn a musical instrument and grounds them in the basics of music before passing them onto the Academy Band.

Players can join with no experience and we’ll loan them an instrument and teach them their first notes, or for those with some experience help them to develop their skills.

Rehearsals are normally completed in a full band format, led by Natsumi Macdonald and Katie Raisbeck, with our excellent team of tutors taking out smaller groups to enable children to get more individualised attention.  Rehearsals are hard work, however the ethos of the band is that music is a hobby and is to be enjoyed, meaning that sessions are also fun, with a good amount of laughter involved!

The band plays in a number of concerts each year with the other two bands. The band currently enters the National Youth Brass Band Championships in April. In 2016 the Beginner Band completed a hat trick of ‘Band with Most Potential’ awards at the Nationals, having won it in 2014, 2015 and 2016. 

The Debut Band’s prize winning performance at the 2015 National Brass Band Championships can be seen via the following link http://youtu.be/-mnTlTsSVCE

Katie Raisbeck

Katie is a former member of Lions Youth Brass, before studying at Royal Northern College of Music. She was a member of Black Dyke Band, winning European Brass Band Championships as well as several domestic titles. 

Natsumi Macdonald

Natsumi came over from Japan to study Euphonium at Salford University before completing her masters at Royal Northern College of Music. She was twice ‘British Open Solo Champion’ and was a member of Foden’s Band for many years, winning National Championships, and the British Open on multiple occasions. She works as a full time brass teacher.