Laura McCallan (Eb bass)
I had the wonderful good fortune of being introduced to brass banding by friends and mentors in Comber Silver Band, at a time when Ewan Easton (tuba player for Ulster Orchestra at the time), was conductor. I fell in love with everything about being part of a brass band from the very moment I joined - the people, the music, the challenges of improving through hard work, and being able to play in a variety of unique (and sometimes strange) locations.
I joined Downshire Brass in 2019 after several years away from playing when ‘life’ got in the way. During that time, I missed it terribly, and quite often felt guilty when I saw the tuba that my grandmother had helped to buy me just gathering dust. Thanks to the persuasive powers of Michael Alcorn, and the friendly and welcoming atmosphere in the band, I haven’t looked back, and I have loved every minute of every gig we have had the privilege to play together. A major highlight playing with Downshire has been competing in the 2025 European Brass Band Championships in Stavanger, Norway.
I’m currently completing a PhD in Education, exploring how AI can support teacher training for Northern Ireland’s culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms. Aside from music, my job as a digital learning developer, reading and writing for the PhD, my time is spent playing football, boxing, and cycling regularly.
During summer breaks in banding, my husband, Tim, and I can usually be found traveling around France in our TentBox.