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Graeme Beckett hails from a small town about 50 Kilometers north of Durban (Maidstone) which was built for employees of a sugar mill.
His father worked in the sugar mill and he, his parents and Mavis, his younger sister, lived in a "company house." The mill sponsored a brass band for its black workers, conducted by a Scottish gentleman, Fred Johnstone, who in addition to working at the mill, was the local scout master, piano teacher, lay preacher and trombonist for the Durban Light Infantry Regimental Band. Fred was a family friend of the Becketts, and at age 12, Graeme asked 'Uncle' Fred about an old, battered bugle that was hanging on the wall of the scout hall (which also served as a Sunday school venue and primary school class room). Fred took it down and handed it to Graeme with the challenge, "See what you can do!" That same year Graeme joined the Beachwood Boys' High School cadet band, and 2 years later won the MacKay Silver Bugle trophy for first place in the Durban and Districts Individual Bugling Competition, later competing at the nationals in Cape Town. The following year he won first place in both individual bugle and trumpet,
While at high school, Graeme, at 14, became the youngest member of the Durban Light Infantry Regimental Band (on 1st Cornet) and at 18, in the days of compulsory national service, Graeme underwent basic training in the 1st South African Infantry Battalion, and later served with the South African Army Band at Voortrekkerhoogte, Pretoria until the end of his national service obligations.
Back in "civvy street" Graeme studied for the ministry at the Baptist Theological College in Johannesburg, during which time he married Hazel and the first two of their three children were born. (number three came 9 years later!)
After graduation there seemed to be no openings in the Baptist ministry, so Graeme studied accountancy, serving Articles with Price Waterhouse in Johannesburg,and at the same time joining as a part-time volunteer, the Imperial Light Horse Regimental Band where he was promoted to Band Sergeant.
After Articles, Graeme and family moved back to Durban, where he has been active in church music ministry, lay preaching, military music (with the Natal Mounted Rifles Regimental Band) and with his own accountancy practice, Extra Mile Financial Services.
Graeme, since his high school days, has had a particular interest in military bugle and trumpet calls, and is in constant demand to perform on the bugle and E Flat cavalry trumpet at many different functions and ceremonies. In 1994/5 he recorded a number of calls on both instruments for the British South Africa Police Association for their "A Day in the Life of the BSAP". This is available in CD and cassette tape. Perhaps his bugling highlight was a solo performance of the "Last Post" for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the annual Remembrance Day Service, when South Africa hosted the British Commonwealth Conference in November 1999. Another annual highlight is sounding the same call on national television after the final gun of the Comrades Marathon in June of each year.
Graeme is currently working on a project to record a range of bugle and trumpet calls as a resource for military and ex-servicemen's organisations, which would include a study of correct protocols in the use of bugle and trumpet calls for various occasions.
While Cool Brass definitely does not have any military connections, it does include a range of music that is a great deal of fun to play, and as always with musicians, the real kick comes in playing for an appreciative audience.
Graeme, along with his wife, Hazel and their youngest son, Arthur (19) live in Pinetown, near Durban.
