Garth Coffey

Band Manager

“The National Band has always been a group of skilled musicians I have looked up to over many years and have been fascinated by the stories of their tours by past members. Having ‘retired’ from competitive playing a couple of years ago I realised the void created by not being involved with brass banding was greater than I anticipated. To have the opportunity to be part of this wonderful institution is both very humbling and exciting.”

Garth was raised in a Salvation Army family and therefore was exposed to the delights of brass banding at an early age. Initially starting on the cornet, he progressed to, then settled on, the tenor horn in his teenage years where he lead the horn section of the Salvation Army National Youth Band being greatly influenced by the band’s musical director Michael Craven.

In 1995, Garth then joined Waitakere Brass under the leadership of the late Alan McKenzie who mentored and tutored Garth for next few years until Alan’s passing. Since 1995, Garth has participated in many national contest having played in several of the nation’s leading bands in Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington. He has been fortunate to furnish quite a record with these bands, having been a member of the New Zealand A Grade Champion Band on seven occasions and winning the Australian A Grade Championship once.

Whilst Garth was a playing member of Wellington Brass he successfully took on the role of tour manager for the band’s successful trip to participate in the British Open in 2016.

Garth ‘retired’ from playing in 2017 although he still makes the odd appearance for other bands as required.

Away from banding Garth resides in Wellington with his partner Janine and is a career Police Officer, holding the rank of Sergeant. As a Senior Police prosecutor he has worked for over 17 years in various courts around the country including prosecuting and training police staff in several Pacific Island countries.

When appointed as the Band Manager of the National Band of NZ in 2019, Garth explained his vision for the band was to ensure it remained as the pinnacle of brass banding for New Zealand players and the flagship of the brass band movement, engaging at a local level with all the districts and to be recognised domestically and internationally as an elite arts group.