Workshop in Bavaria 🇩🇪
During our 2026 European tour, we had the privilege of working with the Musikbund von Ober- und Niederbayern (MON), delivering a series of workshops at Villa Musica in Altdorf, Bavaria. Musicians from communities across the region came together for beginner and advanced sessions. Our focus was on something that sits at the heart of Hot Potato Band, the difference between simply playing music and truly performing it. Through our own repertoire, we explored groove, movement, ensemble interaction, stagecraft and audience connection. We encouraged this group of multi-generational musicians to step beyond the notes on the page and think about how their energy as performers can completely change the experience of their audience.
What made the workshops particularly rewarding for us was seeing musicians from Bavaria's strong and deeply rooted brass-band tradition embrace a very different Australian approach to ensemble performance. By the end of the sessions, the groups weren't just playing the music together. They were moving, interacting and "performing", culminating in performances for their families, friends and fellow musicians. MON later described the day as an “unforgettable workshop”, highlighting the groove, performance, movement and sheer joy of playing that filled the sessions.
For us, it was one of the genuine highlights of our time in Germany, an opportunity to exchange ideas across two very different musical cultures and discover just how universal the language of music really is.
