June 2026 – Present
Naomi picked up the euphonium aged 9. At that point she couldn’t carry the euphonium and its case by herself so had to stick it on a wheeled trolley and drag it to school. She played with various school concert bands until aged 16 when she converted to brass bands and joined the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland, which she played in until aged 22. The bus drivers got so used to seeing her with her euphonium travelling around to get to rehearsals that they would give her a child’s fare long after she qualified for one.
When Naomi went to Heriot Watt University (Edinburgh) with a music scholarship she played solo euphonium with Dalkeith and Monktonhall Brass Band, helping them gain promotion to the Championship Section. The band looked after Naomi as a student, always making sure someone was available for lifts.
After university, Naomi moved to England and played second euphonium with Flookburgh in Cumbria for 7 years. Here she enjoyed lots of summer concerts, a wonderful sense of community and the excellent conductorship of John Iveson.
Naomi next moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she joined Glenferrie Brass, the amalgamation of the famous Kew and Hawthorn Bands. Here she played first baritone and enjoyed playing with many fine musicians in the A Grade under the baton of Phillipa Edwards OAM. The rotation of competitions and high-profile concerts really pushed her to be a better player and she thrived playing with this group.
After moving back across the world Naomi joined Flixton and is excited to be part of such a friendly and hard-working group of musicians.
Adie Smith is our Musical Director.