By Melanie Wallis
A Downtown community brass band, The TriBattery Pops, have advanced to the semi-final round toward two Grammy Awards — just seven months after the band was founded.
Tom Goodkind, 50, the conductor and founder, is overjoyed yet surprised with their nomination. “We’re so amateur. We found it so amazing that we got on the boat to Hoboken and recorded an album for $180 and we got nominated,” said Goodkind, a resident of Battery Park City.
The 30-member band is up for two nominations in the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. The first is for the Best Instrumental Pop Album, for their album titled “Out Standing in Their Field.” Out of the 56 competitors in this round, however, only 5 will get chosen to go through for the final nomination.
The other category is for the Best Instrumental Composition. This category is solely for Goodkind’s talent as a composer for a song called “Tribute.” The chances of getting chosen for this round is more difficult, with only five out of 202 going through to the final round.
The band, whose members include residents from Tribeca and B.P.C, was a Downtown fixture over the summer at the gazebo in the Washington Market Park. “We love that gazebo. It’s on the cover of the CD. We hang out there and have lunch,” Goodkind said.
For Goodkind, however, this is not his first Grammy encounter. In the ‘80s, Goodkind was part of an alternative punk rock band called the Washington Squares which was nominated for a Grammy. “We were invited to the Grammys, went to all the parties. We got limousines everywhere… but if we got nominated now we’ll probably go on the subway,” Goodkind joked.
Although proud of the band’s achievements, Goodkind is doubtful they will get to the final five invited to the Grammies in Hollywood in February 2005. “We’ll never get invited. If we do, we’re all going to fly out to LA. We’ll find the money somewhere,” he said. The band is planning to celebrate and revel in their success until the decision for the next round is made on December 7th. “We’re going to have a big party,” Goodkind said.
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