Full Circle

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america, Army, army band, band, big band, Classical Music, concert band, free performance, japan, Jazz, Jazz knights, marching band, military band, military music, Music, sousa, tokyo, United States Military Academy, West Point, West Point Band, wind ensemble

Finally, after years of work, we were nearing the conclusion of the concert. Two great nations had shared the stage in concert once again. With the Bernstein complete, it was on to the jazz tunes. Judging by the number of jazz clubs I saw around Tokyo, jazz seems to be much more popular in Japan than in the place of its birth, and it was clear that the audience was excited to hear two great American jazz musicians perform in concert.

The trumpet section of the combined bands. Photo by SFC Sam Kaestner

First up was Caravan. Sgt. 1^st Class John Castleman, Staff Sgt. Alexis Cole, and the Central Band’s English horn player came to the front of stage to engage in a free dialogue between musicians. All three played off of one another, drawing inspiration from whatever came from each musician.

Musicians play off of one another on the front of the stage. Photo by SFC Sam Kaestner

After the introduction, it was time for John and Alexis to shine on their own. Alexis held the audience in rapt attention as she sang the melody using only sounds, not words, and then took a scat solo. She drew on her training in Indian classical singing to add an exotic flair to her performance. After Alexis finished, it was time for John to play his solo. The band members already knew what the audience was about to listen to, and I couldn’t help but notice a few smiles, as all on stage knew that the audience was in for a treat. John did not disappoint, thrilling the audience as he played complex lines and leapt up to the top of the trumpet’s range.

SFC Castleman solos during “Caravan.” Photo by SFC Sam Kaestner

Next, Alexis spoke to the audience in Japanese for a bit, something they certainly did not expect. Throughout the concert, the Japanese audience had been deafeningly quiet, without coughing, or unwrapping hard candy, or any of the other noises that filter through concert halls in America. Once Alexis spoke, they finally relaxed and even shared a laugh. With the audience at ease, the band dove into Fly Me to the Moon. Things had come a long way since the first rehearsal; the band sounded really tight, and fed off of the energy from the crowd to inject even more life into their playing. Alexis’ deep, haunting voice filled the hall, and the audience was blown away by her singing. John even had a brief solo in the middle of the tune, and he of course wowed the crowd and ensemble alike.

SSG Cole sings to the crowd. Photo by SFC Sam Kaestner

The concert closed with Les Deux Belles Aires. The piece is a sort of Latin big band chart from the 70s arranged for concert band with an absurd injection of energy. The piece is really impressive to listen to, and is a real crowd pleaser. The audience roared with applause at the conclusion of the concert, and the band had no choice but to play The Stars and Stripes Forever as an encore. Lt. Col. Keene conducted, and as he always does, got the reserved Japanese audience to clap along with vim and vigor.

LTC Keene encourages the audience to clap during “Stars and Stripes.” Photo by SFC Sam Kaestner.

Finally the concert came to a close. There were many rounds of applause from the grateful audience. What was displayed on stage was not just a concert with some American guest musicians, but a true partnership among nations. Military bands make the best possible emissaries of all nations, because no matter the language barrier, we can always play great music together. The stay was one I will never forget. We made wonderful friends with the Japanese musicians, and hope that we can share the stage again soon.

CSM James Mullins stands to recieve the audience’s applause after a memorable performance with the JGSDF Central Band. Photo by SFC Sam Kaestner.

Words and images by Sgt. 1st Class Sam Kaestner

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Army, army band, band, big band, Classical Music, concert band, japan, Jazz, Jazz knights, marches, marching band, military band, military music, Music, service, trombone, United States Military Academy, West Point, West Point Band, wind ensemble

We began the morning with a sound check at Sumida Triphony hall in Tokyo, one of the finest halls I have ever performed in. At the beginning of rehearsal, there were a whole bunch of Central Band officers who had come to speak with the band. What I expected was mundane morning announcements; in fact, it was a sort of pre-concert ritual that added an air of profundity to what we were about to do. In a display of respect for both the performers and the officers, everyone said a sort of group “let’s do this” together, for each officer that spoke.

In the sound check, we only touched a few spots here and there to get used to the hall. And what a hall it was. In the West Point Band, we rarely have the privilege to perform in beautiful concert halls, and we loved every minute of it. We all grabbed a quick lunch then got changed into performance uniforms for the sold out performance. The Central Band’s performances are so popular that they have to hold a ticket lottery to see who will be allowed into the concert.

The combined bands on stage at Sumida Triphony Concert Hall in Tokyo. Photo by SFC Sam Kaestner

Throughout the trip, I have been impressed with the attention to detail of the Japanese people. It seems that everything is done deliberately, be it cleaning a train station, or assigning the parts to be played in the concert. It seems that everything is a conscious choice. One detail that we did not overlook was the switching of flags prior to the concert. In military ceremonies, you always place the flag with the highest honor in the left most position. Between the sound check and the performance, as a show of honor for the United States, the Central Band chose to place the American flag on the left of their own flag. This is a small detail, that many in the audience might have overlooked, but as someone who makes his livelihood getting all of the details right at military ceremonies, the significance was not lost on me. It was a deep gesture of respect for our nation.

Staff Sgt. Alexis Cole sings at Sumida Triphony Hall. The U.S. Flag has been moved into the place of honor for the performance. Photo by SFC Sam Kaestner

I’ll write about the performance in the next post. Be sure to check back soon.

 

Words and images by Sgt. 1st Class Sam Kaestner

Out in Front

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america, Army, army band, band, big band, Classical Music, concert band, free performance, japan, Jazz, Jazz knights, marches, marching band, military band, military music, Music, United States Military Academy, West Point, West Point Band, wind ensemble, work

The combined bands in rehearsal at Camp Asaka. Photo by SFC Sam Kaestner

The next task was to get the two soloists we brought with us comfortable. Sgt. 1^st Class John Castleman and Staff Sgt. Alexis Cole on trumpet and jazz vocal respectively. John’s feature was a new arrangement of Caravan, arranged by West Point’s own Sgt. 1^st Class Mike Reifenberg. If you’ve never heard him, John is without question one of the finest jazz lead trumpet players anywhere. He is totally devoted to his craft as a musician. In fact, when he has multiple days off of the trumpet in a row, we often kid that he is going into trumpet withdrawal and beginning to twitch.

The arrangement of Caravan began with a free trumpet, vocal, and English horn obligato, played by one of the Central Band’s musicians in training. John thought it odd that he and Alexis should be the only ones to stand at the beginning, even though all three parts have equal importance. The Central Band’s English horn player was invited to stand with the musicians from West Point and it clearly had a profound impact on him. Lt. Col. Keene encouraged the young English horn player to come out of his shell and really open up musically. It made for a touching moment of international cooperation on stage, and injected a bit of American bravado into the Japanese English horn player.

When it was time for John to take his solo in Caravan, I knew the Japanese musicians would be impressed, and they were. John soared into the stratosphere of the trumpet range and eyebrows went up all over the room. At West Point, we sometimes forget what an amazing talent John is because we work with him every day. We know him as a person, a family man, and a colleague. The Japanese musicians had just met him, and all they knew was his playing. They were very impressed, clapping for him after he finished in rehearsal.

SFC Castleman in rehearsal. Photo by SFC Sam Kaestner

Next we rehearsed Fly Me to the Moon, featuring Staff Sgt. Alexis Cole. Alexis is a singular vocal talent, and also spent about 18 months living in Tokyo before joining the Army. At West Point, we often play jazz tunes in a concert band setting, and it usually works really well, so we forget that it is a real challenge to pull off. The combined band had a few hiccups as things got going, struggling to align the rhythm section and balance the bass and piano with the larger ensemble. Once we got everything sorted out, Alexis was able to shine. She really dazzled the musicians, most of whom had never been exposed to such great jazz singing up close and personal.

SSG Alexis Cole in Rehearsal. Photo by SFC Sam Kaestner

The rehearsal was incredibly productive. No matter the language barrier, it’s always easy to make music with other great musicians, because music is absolutely a universal language. Following the rehearsal, we shared a truly amazing sushi dinner with Central Band members, sitting on tatami mats, eating off of traditional low tables. It was truly a memorable day.

Uniforms in the West Point Band

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america, Army, army band, band, Classical Music, concert band, free performance, Hellcats, Jazz, Jazz knights, marches, marching band, military band, military music, Music, service, United States Military Academy, veterans, West Point, West Point Band, wind ensemble

When I first arrived to the West Point Band as a clarinetist in 2004, I was jokingly told by many of my new coworkers that the only two things I really had to know were: A) what time to show up, and B) what uniform to be wearing.  I say jokingly because I thought they were just being funny, but it turned out to be at least partially true, especially where uniforms are concerned.     Behind the scenes as a military musician, while there may be an occasional, “I’m nervous about playing that solo,” there are ten times as many comments like, “Does anyone have an extra set of medals?” “Are we in white or blue pants for this?” or “Where is my belt?!?!”   I can personally attest that my most frightening moments of the job had nothing to do with performing music, but more with the times I was clumsily fumbling with a tangle of white cords on my marching uniform with only two minutes left to get into formation, or the sheer terror I felt once when I was almost to the parade field and realized I forgot my white gloves.

Uniforms are obviously very important in the military.  They encourage unit cohesion, and distinguish us from other military branches, other countries, and other even other units.  Not only do the uniforms look impressive, but the various insignia, medals, patches, and stripes convey a variety of information about our military careers.  When the band is out performing for the public, people ask us questions about our uniforms almost more than anything else.

When the band is rehearsing and doing our day-to-day work, we wear the regular duty uniforms of the army—either ACU’s or ASU Class B’s mostly.  When it comes to performances, we each have a locker full of mix and match uniform parts that come together to create our dress uniforms, both for concert and marching.  These uniforms are specific to the West Point Band and have evolved throughout the band’s near 200-year history to become the uniforms you see today.

Our Concert Blue and Full Dress Blue uniforms, which you will see below, were modeled to resemble the cadet marching uniforms, and have been around more or less in their current form since 1902.

Concert Blue

The Concert Blue uniform is probably the most recognizable, as it is the one in which we perform most of our sit-down performances and concerts.  It consists of our dark blue high collar coat, complete with medals, over blue pants.  In concert settings, the females can also choose to wear a long blue skirt instead of the pants.  This uniform is also used for marching funerals and occasionally other outdoor ceremonies, in which case we will wear white gloves and our flat blue hat as well.   (It probably goes without saying, but skirts are not an option for marching.)  Our high collar coat is the most distinctive part of our uniform, bearing the “USMA Band” patch on the shoulder.  The dark blue color represents the “Army Blue,” and the red piping is a remnant of the red used in the uniforms of the Continental Army.

The Academy Brass Quintet wearing Concert Blue

 

A closer look at the high collar coat—What are all of the stripes and patches? 

Most of the questions we get are directed at deciphering the stripes, patches, and medals on our high collar.  On each of the sleeves towards the cuff, individuals will have a certain number of white stripes.  These are service stripes, and each one represents three years time in service.  So if you see someone with no stripes, they have been in for under three years.  Likewise if you see someone with stripes up to their elbow, they have been in the band a very long time.  On our sleeves near the elbow is a patch displaying our rank.  The members of the West Point Band are all NCO’s (with the exception of our conductors who are officers, and whose rank is displayed on their shoulders), and rank from E-6 (Staff Sergeant) to E-9 (Sergeant Major).

What do the medals mean?

On the left side of the uniform are two unit awards, with the Adjutant General Regimental Crest above.  The AG crest signifies that the band is a part of the US Army Adjutant General Corps, which is a branch of the US Army first established in 1775.

The red ribbon is the Meritorius Unit Commendation, which was awarded to the West Point Band in 1946 for uncompromising performance of its duties, including playing for the FDR Funeral held on April 15, 1946.

The red and green ribbon is the Army Superior Unit Award, which was awarded to every unit on West Point in June of 2010 for national recognition of the academy being named “The Best College in America” by Forbes magazine, and “The Top Public Liberal Arts College” by U.S. News and World Report.

Another picture of the Concert Blue uniform.

On the right side of the uniform are the individual’s service awards and personal decorations, which serve to display the highlights of a service member’s career.  All band members have the National Defense Service Medal (the red and yellow medal), and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (the blue medal).  The former is awarded to any member of the US Armed Forces who served honorably during distinct periods of “national emergency,” including the Korean War, Vietnam War, Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and the Global War on Terrorism.  The Global War on Terrorism Medal is awarded to any service member who has performed service during the War on Terror, from September 11, 2001 until a date yet to be determined.  Other medals depend on an individual’s accomplishments.  Click here see a list of all of the Army’s awards and decorations.

Sierra

The Sierra uniform is used for performing in warm weather, for either concert or marching settings, and sometimes football games.  It may not be the most comfortable of uniforms, but it can be a huge relief to wear short sleeves on a hot day instead of roasting inside the high collar.  Sierras consist of a white, short sleeve button down shirt, black belt, and blue pants.  The shirt is similar to the Class B every day shirt; on it we wear our nametag and shoulder boards with rank (although it is white instead of gold).  However, unlike the Class B shirt, we also wear our medals on this shirt.  The headgear for this uniform is the flat white hat.  We wear this uniform for our summer outdoor concerts, as well as for some of the warm weather military reviews.

The Band wearing the Sierra uniform while performing at Michie Stadium.

Full Dress Blue

This is by far the most intricate and ornate uniform, and the one that is hardest and most time-consuming to put together.  Even seasoned band members can forget what goes where by the time parade season rolls around again.  The full dress uniform starts with the high collar coat (but without any medals), over blue OR white pants.

The reason we don’t wear medals on the high collar is to make room for the black wool pouch that goes over our right shoulder, the braided white cords, and the white belt.  With this we also wear white gloves, and a hat we affectionately refer to as our “tar bucket.”  The tar bucket bears the USMA crest and a tall black plume.  We only wear the full dress blue uniform for reviews and sometimes football games (although we save the tar bucket for marching on the field, and opt for the more sensible flat blue hat for playing in the stands).

Dress Blue over blue pants at MetLife Stadium.

 

How do we decide which uniforms to wear?

For the band’s own events, such as concerts, we generally wear the Concert Blue uniform for indoor concerts, and the Sierra uniform for outdoor concerts.  However, in ceremonies and events in which the band plays a supportive role, we usually wear a uniform to match everyone else.  For instance, for formal events in which participants wear the Class A uniform, we will wear our Concert Blue uniform.  For ceremonies in which everyone is in ACU’s, we will also wear our ACU’s.  For any event involving cadets, such as reviews and football games, we will wear equivalent uniform of those the cadets are wearing.  Reviews are usually either done in Full Dress Blue or Sierras, as are the football game marching shows that we do.

Weather does play a role in determining the uniform for a performance or event, although certain events are in the same uniform regardless of the season or weather.  For instance, full military funerals are always performed in our Concert Blue uniform, whether it is below freezing or 90 degrees outside.  (I should mention that we do have an overcoat and other approved, cold-weather gear for the lower temperatures.  When it comes to heat, however, we pretty much have to be Army Strong and tough it out!)

It’s often said that the audience “hears with its eyes,” and we in the band experience this firsthand all the time. Before we play a single note, people form impressions based on our uniforms. We are proud to serve in the uniforms of the United States Army, and hopefully this has given you a better understanding of our uniforms here in the West Point Band.

Words by Staff Sgt. Erin Beaver

Images by Staff Sgt. Torin Olsen

Jazz ‘n the Academy

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Army, army band, big band, cadet Jazz Forum Club, Cadets, Jazz, Jazz knights, Music, New York City, United States Military Academy, West Point, West Point Band

Cadets gather in front of the legendary Village Vanguard to see the Kurt Rosenwinkel Quartet

April is Jazz Appreciation Month! The West Point Band’s Jazz Knights celebrated it in a big way through partnering with West Point’s academic departments and clubs for several joint events. It was a historic month of “firsts,” with the “first” first being a record set for the number of Jazz Knights-cadet collaborations in a one-month period! I can’t wait to tell you about them, so here they are.

Night of the Arts The month-long celebration of jazz began with Night of the Arts or, NOTA, an annual celebration of cadet artistic excellence sponsored by the Department of English and Philosophy. For the first time ever, this year’s NOTA featured a cadet jazz band performance (see photo), with a little help from their friends, the Jazz Knights. The cadets came to the West Point Band building, where I had the opportunity to help rehearse them, and saxophonist Sgt. 1st Class Derrick James and trombonist Staff Sgt. Barry Cooper of the Jazz Knights provided expert coaching to the horn players. At NOTA, the cadets performed the classic Horace Silver piece “Song For My Father,” each taking improvised solos to rousing applause. (I assisted on bass.) As a testament to the historic nature of the performance, the photo in this blog made the Picture of the Week in the Dean’s Significant Activities Report! 

Sgt. 1st Class Mike Reifenberg opens a window into the world of jazz improvisation for cadets enrolled in English Literature and Philosophy courses. Joining him are Master Sgt. Drewes on drums, Sgt. 1st Class Nelson on bass, and Sgt. 1st Class Tonelli on guitar.

Jazz Improvisation Class In four separate presentations to nearly 500 members of the Class of 2017 enrolled in EN102 (Literature) and PY201x (Philosophy), Sgt. 1st Class Mike Reifenberg presented a class entitled Jazz Improvisation: The Art of Spontaneity. It was the final installment in a four-part series requested by Maj. Harry Jones of the Philosophy Department, examining how the arts can be a model for creative problem-solving. Sgt. 1st Class Reifenberg, on alto saxophone, was joined by a Jazz Knights combo featuring drummer Master Sgt. Scott Drewes, bassist Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Nelson, and me on guitar. Using lecture, live musical demonstration, recordings, visual aids, and much interactive discussion, Sgt. 1st Class Reifenberg opened a window into the intriguing world of jazz improvisation. Cadets got in on the action, too, with a version of “stump the band” in which they chose from a list of jazz songs that the combo previously had not seen. This exercise showed how jazz musicians must use prior knowledge in responding swiftly to unexpected situations. Fortunately, the band came through unscathed, even when one cadet picked John Coltrane’s famously challenging composition “Giant Steps”! In all, the Jazz Knights enjoyed working with the cadets, who walked away from the class with new insights on the skills inherent to jazz improvisation, which they can apply to their own lives and careers.

Field trip to NYC One of my favorite additional duties is being the Noncommissioned Officer In Charge of the cadet Jazz Forum Club, a group that, until recently, I didn’t even know existed. But thanks to a phone call a couple of years ago from the club’s former Officer In Charge (OIC), Maj. John Dvorak, the Jazz Forum Club and the Jazz Knights have been joined at the hip ever since. We have done a number of great activities together over the past two years, and we are continuing the tradition. This year, cadets in the club, along with current OIC Maj. Robert Crouse and myself, took a field trip to the jazz mecca of the world, New York City, to immerse ourselves in all things jazz.

Cadets and Jazz Forum Club Officer-in-Charge Maj. Rob Crouse and and Noncomissioned-Officer-In-Charge Sgt. 1st Class Mark Tonelli pose for a photo with director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Loren Schoenberg

The day began with a visit to the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. Loren Schoenberg, director of the museum and a well-known jazz saxophonist and educator, presented a private lecture to our group on the importance of jazz in our nation’s history and the role of the museum in promoting jazz. Fittingly, Mr. Schoenberg opened the lecture with his piano performance of the Duke Ellington Orchestra’s theme song, “Take The A Train,” an homage to Harlem, through which the A train runs. He noted that the jazz museum is located in Harlem because of Harlem’s prominent place in jazz history. Mr. Schoenberg indicated that the museum strives to document, preserve, and advance jazz as an original American artform in the same way that baseball and other things uniquely American have a hall of fame. Cadets were able to view the museum’s current exhibit, examine historical jazz memorabilia, and interact with the museum’s highly knowledgeable staff.

After visiting the museum, the group headed downtown to Greenwich Village and divided up to sample the eclectic variety of dining choices that “the Village” offers. After dinner, we met up again at the world famous Village Vanguard jazz club to see jazz guitar genius Kurt Rosenwinkel and his quartet. Cadets were able to soak in the unique history of the Vanguard, gazing around the room at the images of jazz’s elite lining the walls, all of whom had set foot in the Vanguard as performers. Just before the performance, the Vanguard’s host acknowledged our group and thanked the cadets for their service, which was met with enthusiastic applause from the Vanguard’s patrons. But it was all music after that, as Mr. Rosenwinkel proceeded to dazzle the audience with his brilliant musicianship in a set of all-original compositions. We left the city at 10:30pm– late for cadets, early for jazz musicians– thoroughly inspired by a day of jazz immersion.

Jazz at Grant Hall Jazz Appreciation month closed out on a literal high note with a true jazz standard, the jam session, hosted by Grant Hall. The mostly-cadet crowd was treated to a rare evening of live jazz, with a number of their own among the performers. Several cadets brought their “axes” to jam with a Jazz Knights combo consisting of Staff Sgt. Vito Speranza on trumpet, Staff Sgt. Geoff Vidal on tenor saxophone, Master Sgt. Drewes, Sgt. 1st Class Dan Pierce on bass, and me on guitar. Grant’s patrons went wild for the music, and the apparently very educated jazz crowd even applauded after individual solos. A great time was had by all.

A cadet participates in a jam session at Grant Hall with Jazz Knights Sgt. 1st Class Dan Pierce on bass and Staff Sgt. Vito Speranza on trumpet

What a spectacular month. As a jazz musician and educator, I was fortunate to be involved with two things I love doing— performing and teaching jazz. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to share my love of jazz with so many cadets and to help them learn about a world and a life that means so much to me personally. The faces said it all: a satisfied smile for applause on an improvised solo, a look of pride in learning about the importance of jazz in our nation’s heritage, or the dawning of recognition in making a connection about jazz improvisation. And I got to see it all happen in abundance with West Point’s tremendous cadets. In that way, I consider myself a pretty lucky guy. And I look forward to being as lucky in the future as the Jazz Knights continue to partner with West Point’s academic departments and clubs to contribute to cadets’ cultural enrichment through jazz.

By Sgt. 1st Class Mark Tonelli

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Columbus to Cleveland with The Jazz Knights

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Army, army band, band, big band, free performance, Jazz, Jazz knights, Music, United States Military Academy, West Point, West Point Band

Members of the Jazz Knights will be touring Northern Ohio from Wednesday, April 8th to Saturday, April 12th, with visits to Capital University, Ohio State University, University of Akron, and a free Friday evening performance at the iconic Cleveland jazz spot, Nighttown Cleveland. The jazz septet features vocalist Staff Sgt. Alexis Cole and a three-horn front line performing original compositions and arrangements alongside classics from the American songbook and the jazz tradition.

After each university performance, the Jazz Knights will visit with current music students to discuss opportunities in the Army Music Program and their experiences serving our nation as members of the West Point Band.

Please visit www.westpointband.com for details on the upcoming performances, and contact U.S. Army Music Program Midwest Region Audition Coordinator Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Knight if you would like more information on Army Bands.

Great People on a Great Lake

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Army, army band, big band, Jazz, Jazz knights, Music, United States Military Academy, West Point, West Point Band

Earlier this month members of the Jazz Knights traveled to the Zenith City of the North, Duluth, Minnesota for the 41st annual Head of the Lakes Jazz Festival at the University of MN-Duluth. Head of the Lakes is a non-competitive festival, offering positive, learning-based experiences for young jazz ensembles throughout the area. This positive, learning-oriented approach has become a hallmark of the Head of the Lakes Festival.

Duluth is in the midst of a cultural boom and overflowing with music, especially jazz and folk. The city is full of all sorts of venues: clubs, hotels, schools, churches and libraries. Not a huge surprise for the city that can lay claim as Bob Dylan’s birthplace. It’s wonderful to see a city with big bands and small groups playing everything from Dixie to Duke Ellington on any night of the week.

During the days leading up to the festival, we had the honor of performing for college students and faculty from around the area. On Thursday we visited the UMD Music Department during their weekly “Recital Hour” and had the opportunity to work with not only the Jazz Studies students that day, but the entire Music Department in their beautiful music hall. UMD Jazz Department Head, Ryan Frane, and everyone on the jazz faculty at UMD is world class and it was a privilege to perform with Adam Booker and Gene Koshinski, the departments jazz bass and drum instructors.

Along with our rendition of Thad Jones classic “Three and One,” we had the added bonus of performing some brand new arrangements SGM Scott Arcangel composed earlier that morning. When inspiration knocks, you answer the door, and the tunes went so well there were requests for copies for the school groups to play after we left. After our performance we spoke to the students about our experiences after graduating from school, what inspired us to join the Army and serve as NCOs in the West Point Band, and how our studies prepared us to be versatile musicians in an ever changing world. “Be versatile, be professional and be resilient.” 

MSG Rich Johnson, a UMD alumni, then gave a trumpet workshop on the challenges of transitioning from school to professional life as a trumpet player and his experiences recovering from a broken embouchure, all the way to earning a position in the West Point Band. It was a enthusiastic discussion about training for quick recovery, adapting to new situations and creating a foundation for a life long career.

Friday we crossed over the high bridge, with it’s awe-inspiring view of a frozen Lake Superior, and traveled to the University of Wisonson-Superior to work with Jazz Studies Department head Greg Moore and his UWS big band as they prepare to travel to the Eau Claire Jazz Festival this spring. Dr. Moore is an excellent director and tenor saxophonist, who’s love of the music is clearly evident in his approach to leading a band. His passion is infectious and the students level of commitment to the music and each other was clearly evident. What a great team! When rehearsal was over we stayed to perform with students in a workshopping session and SFC Dan Pierce led a great discussion about our career field, what it means to be adaptable in today’s job market, and ended with an inspiring talk about personal musical influences and how those led us to where we are today.

Earlier that day, we had the chance to visit the Duluth Veterans Memorial on the shores of Lake Superior. This was especially significant to MSG Johnson, since he had performed Taps for services at the memorial while he was still a music student at UMD. The white, wave inspired monument set against the big lake, frozen over for the first time since 1996 was a moving site and the names of local service members inside the memorial was a powerful reminder of service and sacrifice.

Head of the Lakes was in full swing Saturday with high school jazz bands from across Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Jazz Knights spent the day adjudicating big bands with other area professionals and participating in instrument workshops and lectures. Each ensemble received 40 minutes of individualized time that included a  performance and evaluation with adjudicators. It was inspiring to work with such talented and motivated students, everyone came ready to play and they all performed at the top of their various levels. Being able to really dig into the music with them and discuss specific details that will take them to the next level was very rewarding for both us and the students. 

That evening we helped close out the festival with the UMD Jazz Faculty All-Stars and SGM Arcangel’s new arrangements. The packed house enjoyed the evening and left taping their toes and whistling the tunes. Later that night at the post-festival jam session, we sat in with UMD students, talked more about our experiences as members of the West Point Band, and worked on session etiquette; when to lead and when to follow, and how to quickly develop structure while improvising on the bandstand –
“Be versatile, be professional and be resilient.” 

After the last chorus was played and the instruments were packed up, we were able to work with and perform for over 1000 area students and audience members. Jazz is alive and well in Duluth and it was an honor to share our Army experiences with such a dedicated community.

Great People on a Great Lake!

Just one hundred days till June

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100th Night Show, Army, army band, Broadway, Cadets, Eisenhower Hall, Eisenhower Hall Theatre, Jazz knights, Music, United States Military Academy, West Point, West Point Band

For over 140 years every February the Corps of Cadets has presented the “100th Night Show” to celebrate the fact that there are “just one hundred days till June.”

Dialectic Society of 1920

In December of 1860, the Dialectic Society gave an “entertainment” entitled “Toodles.” This forerunner of the 100th Night Show included two farces, a few dances, poetry and dramatic readings. During these years, before movies and television, amateur theater and musicales were often the only entertainment available to officers and families at West Point and these shows became a welcome part of life at West Point.

The first “100th Night Show” was a collection of skits presented by the First Class in 1871. The “Nineteenth Century Brevities” was performed in the Mess Hall, and resembled an English recitation more than anything else. By the late 1800’s the show moved to Grant Hall and was earning write ups in the New York Times. People began traveling all the way from the city to see the festivities. By 1902 the show found itself a proper stage in Cullum Hall, still used today for Cadet Hops with the Benny Havens Band. The next year the first full-length musical comedy, “The Caprices of Cupid” was staged by the Class of 1903 and ever since the “100th Night Show” has been a musical comedy. During the 1940’s and 50’s Academy Award winning lyricists like Sammy Cahn would take time off from writing lyrics for Frank Sinatra to work with Cadets crafting the next big 100th Night hit.

The story is not complete without mentioning the West Point Band’s “100th Night Show Orchestra” under the baton of SGM Scott Arcangel this year. The orchestra has always been built from members of the West Point Band and resembles a standard Broadway pit orchestra. For this years show SFC Mike Reifenberg has worked closely with Cadets for months, composing a full book of completely original music that covers everything from Broadway show tunes to Green Day-death-metal-rock.

This is the story of the 100th Night Show. You probably won’t hear many of the songs played again after the show, but we guarantee that you will be whistling at least a couple of them in the weeks to come.

Boston Pops Holiday with guests from the West Point Band

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Thanks to everyone that made “West Point Holiday” so much fun!

If you’re looking for more music this weekend come back to Eisenhower Hall Sunday at 1:30, when members of the West Point Band will join the BOSTON POPS Esplanade Orchestra with Conductor Keith Lockhart for their sparkling and beloved Holiday Pops concert.

Tickets are available HERE.

Conductor Keith Lockhart visited Mike & Kacey on 100.7 WHUD this week. To listen to the interview, click HERE for the link or listen to it from right here on our blog.

The Week of the West Point Holiday

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america, Army, army band, band, big band, Chanukah, Christmas, Classical Music, concert band, Eisenhower Hall, Eisenhower Hall Theatre, free performance, Hellcats, holiday, holiday music, Jazz, Jazz knights, Jeremy Gaynor, military band, military music, Music, santa, service, trombone, United States Military Academy, West Point, West Point Band, West Point Holiday, wind ensemble

For most people, Christmas means food, presents, family, maybe some time off of work or school . . . For me, it means those things, but it also means our annual West Point Holiday Show is upon us. So now you know that we put on a holiday show, but what does this really mean for the West Point Band? I’m glad you asked. It means a week filled with many West Point Band members wearing a great deal of different hats. This week, a typical band member is a musician; a stage hand for set-up or tear down; a member of the light crew or decorating team; an usher; publicity booth attendant; producer; et al . . . It means a week of intense music rehearsals, tech rehearsals, set-ups, tear-downs, run-throughs, talk-throughs–It’s a lot.

Why do we do so much? To bring you the best Holiday show on the East Coast, of course! If you’ve never seen it, you definitely owe it to yourself to come. It’s not just a concert of holiday music. It’s much, much more than that. It’s a series of musical selections that tell a story, interspersed with clever narration. Most of our arrangements are original and unique and are guaranteed to appeal to the whole family. And for all you parents out there, there may even be an appearance from Santa Claus, and your kids will have the chance to sit on his lap after the concert (if he shows, wink wink).

So amidst the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, do yourself and your family a favor by taking a little time and joining us in Eisenhower Hall on this coming Friday evening (7:30 p.m.) or Saturday afternoon (2:00 p.m.). I can almost guarantee that it will become a part of your holiday tradition for years to come and we will do our darndest to keep you entertained for those years to come!

Words by Staff Sgt. Dave Loy Song