Ameriikan Poijat (Boys of America)

Today I would like to draw your attention to a specific genre: Finnish brass bands. I first became interested in this genre as a master's student at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. The amount of Finnish heritage in Northern Minnesota is considerable. My own mix of nationalities contains Finnish ancestry and my last name is proof of that.

A Finnish Brass Band from the Minnesotan communities of Ely-Winton c.1888

A common size for these brass ensembles was seven members which would usually contain the following instrumentation.
  • E-flat cornet
  • Cornet 1
  • Cornet 2
  • Alto horn
  • Tenor horn
  • Euphonium
  • Tuba
The euphonium was often the lead voice - somewhat similar to a barbershop quartet that the highest voice was not the lead. The music they performed was very diverse: in Minnesota, they were often the go-to for all occasions because they could read music; some members were trained in the Finnish military. Foxtrots, tangos, marches and the occasional funeral dirge appeared in their part books. These Finnish groups were sometimes larger than seven members. In Finland, fifteen players was also a common ensemble size. Instruments, and sometimes players, were tougher to come by in the United States c.1900 so smaller groups were often used throughout the Midwest.

Ameriikan Poijat (Boys of America) is a brass ensemble based in Minnesota which was formed in 1990. They continue to help keep the Finnish brass band tradition alive. They have numerous arrangements to their credit as well as recordings. They have performed throughout the Midwest and have even been invited to perform in Finland multiple times.

Check out their website for more information https://ameriikanpoijat.org/

A brass sauna

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