THE NEUTRAL ZONE

When he arrived at the University of Arkansas in Monticello, it came as no surprise when he was also named drum major. While he initially enrolled to major in pharmacy, with the encouragement of his bandmates and saxophone mentor, the music called him back and he decided to major in music education. This decision began the countless hours of practicing classical saxophone daily and numerous recital performances. A close friend of Dexter’s who played the trombone shared the same dream of moving forward to graduate school to become instructors for their instruments. To Dexter’s disappointment, his friend decided to join the Navy Band. Very quickly Dexter understood that by joining the Navy Band he could ultimately be paid to play saxophone for a living. As soon as he finished his bachelor’s degree in classical saxophone performance, he went straight to boot camp!

During Dexter’s time in the United States Navy Fleet Band, he performed thousands of times to millions across the nation including two United States Presidents, numerous foreign military leaders, and notable events. One of his most distinguished performances was at the opening of a new Medal of Honor museum. Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam War filled the room, some missing limbs and others were a little weary from their wartime experiences. Survivors of the bombing of Pearl Harbor also attended to share their stories. “As a navy musician, you play our National Anthem so much that you do it in your sleep,” Dexter explained, “but performing the anthem for people who gave life and limb for our country, brought a whole new appreciation for those who served the country we are so blessed to live in.”

After twenty years Dexter retired from his professional saxophonist career in the Navy but his performances didn’t end there. He continued performing professionally, joining several different bands in Jacksonville, Florida ranging from contemporary pop, Blues, R&B, and even Reggae. One of his most memorable performances would be at Mardi Gras in New Orleans as a soloist and band member. You can find him now throughout Southern Georgia and North Florida primarily performing as a solo saxophonist.

Believe it or not, his performances include no vocals at all! How does he still manage to entertain a crowd without any vocals, you ask? He carefully selects songs that people recognize, sing, and dance to, and with the use of backing tracks, he plays the lead “vocal” parts on his saxophone. He gets the most joy during performing when he looks out into the audience and see’s someone or multiple people really feeling and getting into the music.

Through gospel music, he learned to play by ear and improvise. While music in general and several great saxophonists inspire him, his roots come from playing gospel music in church. When asked what he enjoys the most about playing his response is, “The challenge of continuing to get better knowing that you will never know everything about playing the saxophone. Music is a journey without a real destination. The joy is in the journey!”

The Neutral Zone in Kinglsland, Georgia is a non-for profit facility that contains a full-scale suite of constituion class starship sets including: the bridge, transporter room, engineering, sickbay, briefing room, captain’s quarters, auxiliary control, a 100 foot-long corridor, in the same footprint as Paramount Studios in 1966!

The Neutral Zone is an area of space between the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan Star Empire that measures approximately one light-year and serves as a “buffer” zone in the Star Trek series. Kingsland, Georgia’s best-kept secret is not a light year away, in fact, it’s nestled in the heart of downtown, just past the adorable small shops and across the railroad tracks, you’ll find The Neutral Zone. You might not run into any Romulans on your visit to this amazing studio, but you are sure to run into a few Trekkies in costumes and even a famous face or two from the se-

ries “Star Trek Continues” which was filmed there. Fan weekends

have returned this year and tours are often guided by the Executive Producer of the series, Vic Mignogna. For more information visit neutralzonestudios.com