Band Master

F/S Clyde Dixon LLCM,FTCL

Clyde started playing cornet in the Papakura Municipal Brass band at the age of eight, learning the instrument from his father. After some solo successes Clyde became a member of the Continental Airlines band in Auckland and was tutored there by ten time New Zealand cornet champion, Errol Mason.

As a soloist Clyde has had many successes including twenty provincial solo titles, New Zealand junior cornet and junior Champion of Champions, and nine New Zealand open titles. He has also had overseas success in Australia and the United Kingdom. Clyde has been a member of six National Youth Bands of New Zealand and seven National Bands of New Zealand, and with these toured extensively. While in Britain on an overseas experience he was a member of the famous Williams Fairey Band in Manchester United Kingdom.

Clyde’s military career began in 1995 in the New Zealand Army Band. After eight years service in the army he transferred to the RNZAF as Bandmaster of the Base Ohakea band. He has been in this post for seven years, both conducting and managing the band, and acting as its principal bugler.

Clyde has travelled overseas with the RNZAF and NZDF. He has performed with the NZ Army Band at the White House in Washington DC, at Gallipoli, tattoos in Australia, Korea and at the famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo. In 2003 as the RNZAF Base Bandmaster he deployed with a small brass group to the Solomon Islands playing at church services, villages and for NZ service personnel.

The biggest highlight and honour in Clyde’s military career to date is being the bugler at ANZAC cove and Chunuk Bair on the Gallipoli peninsular for the Anzac Ceremonies in 2007.

The music qualifications Clyde has gained are some of the highest possible. In 1994 he received the Licentiate to the London College of Music, and in 2007 gained his Fellowship to the Trinity College in London.