September/October 2016 w Volume 37 Number 5
Fleet Weeks Sea Chanters’ 60th Anniversary Navy Birthday Concert Spotlight on MU1 Chris Buchanan
A Message from the Commanding Officer
M
fanfare Volume 37 Number 5 Commanding Officer Capt. Kenneth C. Collins
Public Affairs Officer MUC Adam K. Grimm Editorial Staff MUCS Melissa D. Bishop MU1 Sarah F. Blecker Layout and Design MUCS Stephen W. Hassay MU1 Adrienne W. Moore
Photographers MUCS Stephen W. Hassay MUC Brian P. Bowman MU1 James C. Anderson MU1 David B. Aspinwall MU1 Jon C. Barnes MU1 Eric A. Brown MU1 Lauren R. Cook MU1 Adele B. Demi MU1 Brittany L. Foster MU1 David A. Smith
y first year as commanding officer of the U.S. Navy Band is almost complete, and what a fantastic year it has been. We have connected with audiences around the country on more than 450 public performances, represented our nation’s Navy in nearly 1,000 military ceremonies and inspired young people through 70 educational outreach events. We are proud to be your Navy Band, representing the important work our Sailors are doing around the world each and every day. The Cruisers have just completed their national tour, and Country Current is in the homestretch of theirs. The Commodores will head out west for three weeks for their tour at the end of October. This volume of Fanfare contains a complete listing of their performances. In what promises to be a busy fall, preparations are underway for the Navy Birthday concert which takes place Oct. 5, 2016, at 7 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland, and each of our ensembles will take part in Baltimore’s Fleet Week Oct. 12-18. Looking ahead to Dec. 17-18, we are happy to announce that we’ve added a third show to our holiday concerts at DAR Constitution Hall. This year, there will be 3 p.m. matinees on both Saturday and Sunday, as well as the Saturday evening show at 8 p.m. Tickets for the Holiday Concerts will be available beginning November 7. Please see our website for more details. In August, Sailors across the Navy learned who amongst their shipmates had been selected for advancement to Chief Petty Officer. I am very proud of our selectees at the Navy Band, and look forward to their pinning ceremony in September. This is a significant career milestone in the Navy, and I anticipate great things from these future leaders. I’d also like to recognize the hard work done by all of our Sailors whose efforts are vital to our mission success. Thank you all for your continued support, and we hope to see you at a concert in the near future.
fanfare is a bi-monthly magazine published by the U.S. Navy Band public affairs staff. Front Cover: Musician 1st Class Tina Catalanotto, left, drummer for the U.S. Navy Band Country Current talks with a patron after an evening concert at the U.S. Navy Memorial. Every Tuesday evening from Memorial Day to Labor Day, ensembles of the U.S. Navy Band present their annual summer concert series at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C. (U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Musician Stephen Hassay/released)
CONCERT BAND
2
Kenneth C. Collins, Captain, USN Commanding Officer
As a little girl in the 1930’s I remember sitting on the steps of the Capitol for all the Navy Band Summer concerts. A memory I continue to treasure and share with my family today. My parents were both in the Navy during World War I….[T]heir respect, pride , gratitude, and love for the Navy is still instilled in me. It is an honor for me to keep these memories alive. The Navy Band is the finest. -Harriet
Fleet Week comes to Baltimore By Chief Musician Adam Grimm
T
he U.S. Navy Band, along with the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron and a number of Navy ships, visit Baltimore for Maryland Fleet Week and Air Show Baltimore Oct. 10-17. Each year, Sailors visit cities across the country to connect Americans with their Navy, and to show why the Navy is important to the American way of life. Ensembles from the Navy Band will be performing for at Musician 1st Class James Hicks, right, tuba instrumentalist with the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Band explains the workings least 12 engagements, including of his tuba to a young Sailor after the opening ceremony of the Star Spangled Sailabration in Baltimore. The Navy week is part of Baltimore’s Star Spangled Sailabration and commemorates the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the the commissioning of the Navy’s writing of the Star Spangled Banner. (U.S. Navy Photo by Chief Musician Stephen Hassay/Released) revolutionary new destroyer, USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), on Oct. 15 at the Port of “America’s Navy – Celebrating 241 Baltimore. Years of Service” “Fleet Weeks are a wonderful opportunity for us to come into communities around the country and help Wednesday, October 5, 7:30 p.m. people understand what their Navy does, and why The Music Center at Strathmore what the Navy does is so important,” said Capt. Ken 5301 Tuckerman Lane Collins, the Navy Band’s commanding officer. North Bethesda, Md. Maryland Fleet Week is the 21st Navy Week or Fleet Week this year, with three more scheduled to This October marks the 241st birthday of the take place in Hampton Roads, Virginia; Houston, United States Navy and we invite you to join us Texas; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A Navy band as we celebrate! Taking place at the Music Center has participated in each Navy and Fleet Week, often at Strathmore, this year’s concert will feature the performing multiple times a day. Concert Band, Sea Chanters and Cruisers. Like our The Navy also visited Baltimore in 2014 and 2012. holiday concerts? You’ll love our birthday concert! In 2012, during the “Star-Spangled Sailabration,” the This production features popular songs from Navy Band performed for seven events during the today, movie music, hits from the 1940s and more. week, helping to commemorating the bicentennial Throughout the evening we will honor the Greatest of the War of 1812. During 2014’s “Star-Spangled Generation, pay tribute to our wounded warriors, Spectacular,” the Navy Band was involved in 15 celebrate our great nation and hear from Sailors performances, celebrating the 200th anniversary of around the fleet in a number of video “shout outs.” the national anthem. For information on how to acquire your free tickets, For more information about events taking place at please visit our website at www.navyband.navy. Maryland Fleet Week and Air Show Baltimore, visit mil/navy_birthday.html. If you miss out on tickets, www.visitmaryland.org/things-to-do/fleet-week. To this year the concert will be live streamed on our learn more about Navy Weeks, visit www.outreach. YouTube Channel. navy.mil/Navy-Weeks. ff
COUNTRY CURRENT
Thank you so much for the wonderful concert tonight in Winchester, VA. We all enjoyed it immensely … the music, the band’s interaction with the audience, and the tender words for our troops and families. We are proud of you all!!!! -Darrel and Carolyne (Stephens City, Va.)
3
Performance Schedule
All concerts are FREE and open to the public. Tickets or reservations are not required unless noted (*). Please note that all concert information is accurate at time of publication, though subject to change due to weather and other conditions. For inclement weather announcements, please call 202-433-2525 or visit www.twitter.com/usnavyband. For the most up-to-date information, please check our online performance calendar at: www.navyband.navy.mil
SEPTEMBER SEA CHANTERS
THURSDAY, SEPT. 1, 7 P.M.
COUNTRY CURRENT BLUEGRASS
SATURDAY, SEPT. 24, 2 P.M.
Greenbelt Labor Day Concert Roosevelt Center Crescent Road and Southway Drive Greenbelt, Md.
Glen Burnie Regional Library 1010 Eastway Glen Burnie, Md.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 10, 7 P.M.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 18, 4 P.M.
National Harbor 165 Waterfront St. National Harbor, Md.
CRUISERS
Old Town Square North St. and University Drive Fairfax, Va.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 2, 5:30 P.M.
WINDJAMMERS WOODWIND QUINTET
SUNDAY, SEPT. 11, 4 P.M.
Woodbridge Senior Center 13850 Church Hill Drive Woodbridge, Va.
COMMODORES
Calvert Marine Museum 14220 Solomons Island Road Solomons, Md.
Old Town Square North St. and University Drive Fairfax, Va.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 24, 7 P.M. National Harbor 165 Waterfront St. National Harbor, Md.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 30, 8 P.M.
Howard County Community College 10901 Little Patuxent Highway Columbia, Md.
COUNTRY CURRENT
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 14, 7:30 P.M. Village Learning Place 2521 St. Paul St. Baltimore, Md.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 17, 6:15 P.M. Hagerstown Community College 11400 Robinwood Drive Hagerstown, Md.
SEA CHANTERS
FRIDAY, SEPT. 9, 11 A.M.
OCTOBER
CONCERT BAND
SUNDAY, OCT. 16, 3 P.M.
Clarinet Day Concert Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall 4915 Campus Drive Alexandria, Va.
THURSDAY, OCT. 27, 7 P.M.
FRIDAY, OCT. 28, 7 P.M.
Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center 3740 Old Lee Highway Fairfax, Va.
COUNTRY CURRENT BLUEGRASS
SATURDAY, OCT. 15, 11 A.M. Martin State Airport 701 Wilson Point Road Middle River, Md.
COMMODORES
SUNDAY, OCT. 16, 11 A.M. Martin State Airport 701 Wilson Point Road Middle River, Md.
CRUISERS
THURSDAY, OCT. 13, 11 A.M. Inner Harbor 201 E. Pratt St. Baltimore, Md.
SAXOPHONE QUARTET SUNDAY, OCT. 2, 2 P.M.
St. John’s United Methodist Church 5312 Backlick Road Springfield, Va.
Stonewall Jackson High School 8820 Rixlew Lane Manassas, Va.
COUNTRY CURRENT NATIONAL TOUR
SATURDAY, OCT. 8, 11 A.M.
Country Current departed Aug. 23 on a 14-day tour through Washington, Idaho and Utah. The following is a partial list of tour performances.
COUNTRY CURRENT Milton Memorial Park Union and Chandler streets Milton, Del.
MONDAY, OCT. 24, 7 P.M. Odenton Regional Library 1325 Annapolis Road Odenton, Md.
THURSDAY, SEP. 1, 6:30 P.M. Patriots Landing 1600 Marshall Circle Dupont, Wash.
ONE OF MY TOP EXPERIENCES was seeing the Sea Chanters. It blew away my expectations! The performances were perfect and just the right mix of acapella, nostalgia, history, and patriotism. I was especially impressed that one of the choral arrangers of several of the tunes was singing on stage -- that’s some serious talent right there. Five star performance!! -Robb (via email)
4
FRIDAY, SEP. 2, 6:30 P.M.
Everett Performing Arts Center 2710 Wetmore Ave. Everett, Wash.
SUNDAY, SEP. 4, 3 P.M.
Leavenworth Festhalle Civic Center 1001 Front St. Leavenworth, Wash.
MONDAY, SEP. 5, 2 P.M. River Front Park Pig Out in the Park Spokane, Wash.
COMMODORES NATIONAL TOUR The Commodores depart Oct. 23 on a 19day tour through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California. The following is a list of tour performances.
SUNDAY, OCT. 23, 2 P.M.
Washington University Department of Music 560 Music Center, Trinity Ave. St. Louis, Mo.
MONDAY, OCT. 24, 7:30 P.M. Belleville West High School 4063 Frank Scott Parkway Belleville, Ill.
TUESDAY, OCT. 25, 7:30 P.M.
University of Central Missouri Hendricks Hall, ADM 193 UCM Warrensburg, Mo.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 26, 7 P.M. Memorial Auditorium Pittsburg State University 503 N. Pine Pittsburg, Kan.
THURSDAY, OCT. 27, 7:30 P.M. Washburn University White Concert Hall 1700 SW Jewell Ave. Topeka, Kan.
FRIDAY, OCT. 28, TBD
Beach-Schmidt Performing Arts Center 600 Park St. Hays, Kan.
SATURDAY, OCT. 29, 7:30 P.M. Colby Community Building 285 E. 5th St. Colby, Kan.
SUNDAY, OCT. 30, TBD TBD, Boulder, Colo.
TUESDAY, NOV. 1, 7 P.M. Longmont High School 1040 Sunset St. Longmont, Colo.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9, 7 P.M. Hemet High School 41701 E. Stetson Ave. Hemet, Calif.
THURSDAY, NOV. 10, TBD
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 2, 7:30 P.M. Grand Junction High School 1400 N. 5th St. Grand Junction, Colo.
THURSDAY, NOV. 3, 7 P.M. Utah State University-Eastern 451 E. 400 N. Price, Utah
FRIDAY, NOV. 4, 7:30 P.M. Southern Utah University 351 W. University Blvd. Cedar City, Utah
SUNDAY, NOV. 6, 3 P.M. Foothill High School 800 College Drive Las Vegas, Nev.
MONDAY, NOV. 7, 7 P.M. Shivela Middle School 24801 Monroe Ave. Murrieta, Calif.
TUESDAY, NOV. 8, 5:30 P.M. Junior Seau Pier Amphitheater 100 S. Strand Oceanside, Calif.
Disneyland Resort, Downtown Disney 1580 S. Disneyland Drive Anaheim, Calif.
FRIDAY, NOV. 11, 7 P.M.
Performing Arts Convention Center 800 Hobson Way Oxnard, Calif. Fair winds and following seas to... MUCM Betty Myers, who retires after 30 years of service to the Navy. Myers was the Navy Band’s piccoloist for 24 years. She received the Meritorious Service Medal on the occasion of her retirement... and to MUCS Lana Haley who retires after 25 years as a clarinetist in the Concert/Ceremonial Band... and to MU1 Jeremy Buckler, trombone, who separates from the Navy Band after performing in the Concert/Ceremonial Band for 7 years...and to Ms. Faiza Brahim who has been the financial analyst for Navy music for the past year.
CLARINET DAY 2016
Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Washington Navy Yard Guest Artists: Ricardo Morales - Eugene Mondie
Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016, 3 p.m., U.S. Navy Concert Band featuring Ricardo Morales Schlesinger Hall, Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria, Va.
Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal MUCS Michael Bayes MUCS Stacy Loggins MUC Rachel Sarracco
MU1 William Edwards MU1 Jonathan Yanik
Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal MU1 Josh Arvizu MU1 David Babich MU1 Kevin Businsky MU1 Renee DeBoer
MU1 Tim Hill MU1 Will Kelly MU1 Adele Mayne MU1 Dave Sigmon
COMMODORES
I just wanted to send a quick note letting you know how much my family and I enjoyed the Commodores’ performance at Shamrock Park in Bel Air this past Wednesday. It was our first Navy band concert... It was also awesome that my kids…could see and hear a variety of instruments! Please send a big thank you to all the service men and women who shared their gifts & talents with us! -Renee
5
Holiday Concerts at DAR Constitution Hall Saturday, Dec. 17, at 3 & 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, at 3 p.m.
C
Chief Musician Antje Farmer performs during the United States Navy Band’s holiday concert. (U.S. Navy photo by Musician 1st Class Jonathan Barnes/Released)
apt. Collins and the Navy Band invite you to ring in the season at our annual holiday concerts. This year we are excited to announce that we have added a third performance! The concerts will take place Saturday, Dec. 17, at 3 & 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 18, at 3 p.m. at DAR Constitution Hall at 1776 D St. NW in Washington, D.C. You can order up to four free e-tickets starting Monday, Nov. 7, at 9 a.m., by visiting http:// usnavyband.ticketleap.com. This year’s concert will feature the combined musical forces of the Concert Band, Sea Chanters, Country Current and Cruisers for a family-friendly, entertaining show that promises to delight all ages. We’ve heard there will be a flyover and a visit by a familiar guest as well! Please join us as we celebrate the holiday season! ff
Sea Chanters’ 60th Anniversary Concert
The United States Navy Band Sea Chanters perform for an enthusiastic summer audience at the Harris Pavillion in Manassas, Virginia. The United States Navy Band provides both military exposure and cultural enrichment to music lovers of all ages through its public concert series. (U.S. Navy photo by Musician 1st Class David Aspinwall/ Released)
The U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters chorus will be holding a 60th anniversary event the weekend of Oct. 29-30, 2016. Former members have all been invited back to sing with the ensemble. The program will feature music which the group has performed on significant occasions during its history with former conductors returning to lead the group for these pieces. There will be a rehearsal and social function for alumni participants on Saturday, Oct. 29, followed by the performance on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 4 p.m. The entire event will take place at Annandale United Methodist Church at 6935 Columbia Pike, Annandale, Virginia. More details about the performance can be found on our website navyband.navy.mil. For more information about alumni participation, please contact Musician 1st Class Maia Rodriguez via navyband.public.affairs@navy.mil. ff
COUNTRY CURRENT
6
I had the great pleasure of seeing the US Navy Band twice this week. I saw the Bluegrass Quintet at Gettysburg Saturday and Country Current tonight at Heritage Shores in Bridgeville, DE. Can’t wait to see them again. Both shows were absolutely awesome! I love how they honor all branches of the US military. So proud to be an American and the wife of a USAF veteran! -Debby (via Facebook)
Spotlight on... Musician 1st Class Christopher Buchanan by Musician 1st Class Sarah Blecker
Musician 1st Class Christopher Buchanan is a trumpet instrumentalist with the Concert and Ceremonial Band who reported to the Navy Band in 2014 after six years with the Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, Maryland. In addition to his primary performing duties he serves as auditions supervisor and arranges music for the Concert Band. Tell us a little about your musical and military background. Like a lot of kids, I started playing my instrument in school band (actually, I started when my grandfather pulled his old Buescher trumpet out of a closet). Growing up in Northern Virginia, I was incredibly fortunate to be exposed to the military bands in the D.C. area, and was able to take lessons with a number of their members, including Terry Detwiler of the U.S. Marine Band. I also got a little Casio keyboard and started playing around with that, composing my own little pieces of music. I ended up writing so much music throughout high school that when it came time to go to college, I chose to go to the University of Illinois to study composition. It had never occurred to me that I might have the “chops” to make a living as a trumpet player until my teachers, Ron Romm and Mike Ewald, encouraged me to pursue a performance degree in addition to my composition degree. By the time I was finished with my undergraduate studies (I finished both degrees somehow), I was advancing in a number of auditions, so my teachers persuaded me to stay at U of I and pursue a master’s degree in performance. Shortly thereafter, I won a position with the academy Band in Annapolis, Maryland. After recruit training in Great Lakes, Illinois, I spent six very happy years at the academy until I auditioned for the Navy Band and was offered a position as a trumpet instrumentalist. Could you share a few musical highlights from your career thus far? Having been a member of both of the Navy’s premier bands, I’ve had a number of diverse and fantastic musical opportunities. At the academy, I was really able to dig into chamber music, which, as any musician will tell you, is one of the most rewarding experiences you
can ever ask for. With the brass quintet, I got the chance to play at a number of universities, the Kennedy Center and the annual conference of the International Trumpet Guild. I also got to compose and arrange a good deal of music for the Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, Musician 1st Class Christopher Buchanan which was really satisfying for a former composition major! Coming to the Navy Band in 2014 opened up a number of new avenues for me. Playing on our national tour truly gives us an opportunity to interact with people across the country who might be meeting a person in uniform for the first time. That we’re able to represent our men and women in uniform while doing what we love is why we all got into this profession to begin with. I’ve also been able to continue arranging and composing for the Concert Band in D.C., which is honestly like designing fuel for an F1 car; they’re the best in the world, and I always know that the only limit for me creatively is my own imagination. The most rewarding experience, though, has been performing taps at funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. I can’t imagine a more worthwhile avenue for a professional musician. What additional roles do you carry out here at the band? I currently serve as auditions supervisor, meaning that I’m basically responsible for bringing new members into the band once our current members move on or retire. My team and I cover everything from advertising to communicating with potential candidates to organizing the audition day itself. I’m always astounded by the incredibly talented individuals who apply, and am secure in the knowledge that every new member of the Navy Band is truly the “best of the best.” As I mentioned earlier, I also spend a good deal of time writing for the Concert Band. It’s incredibly challenging; not only
Continued on page 8
COMMODORES
We thoroughly enjoyed the performance by the Commodores in Vienna, Friday evening. They were superb – Good music, a good crowd and good rapport between both. Please encourage them to come back again next year. -Brian and Lillian (Vienna, Va.)
7
fanfare
Department
of the navy
THE UNITED STATES NAVY BAND 617 WARRINGTON AVE SE WASHINGTON NAVY YARD DC 20374-5054
PRESORTED FIRST-CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID Washington DC Permit No 6184 DATED MATERIAL RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
Spotlight continued...
do you need to know what you want to say creatively, but how to use each instrumentalist to his or her full potential, as well. The knowledge that such efforts have resulted in a satisfying experience for both performer and audience is a reward in and of itself! What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t at work? My wife and I recently welcomed our first child, a beautiful daughter, into the world, so these days it’s hard to find time to do much at all! Yet I’ve had a number of great musical opportunities outside of the Navy, including playing with the Charlottesville, Richmond and Annapolis Symphonies. I’ve also served on the performance faculty of the University of Virginia. Just this past year, I finished both a doctoral degree in performance as well as a master’s degree in musicology from Peabody Conservatory, which is part of Johns Hopkins University. During my course of
8
Contact Information: Public Affairs Office The United States Navy Band 617 Warrington Ave. SE Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5054 202-433-3366
study, I was able to travel to Venice twice to research the career of Giovanni Gabrieli, who was an organist and composer at the Basilica San Marco and a seminal figure in the transition between the renaissance and baroque periods. OK, so I’m a nerd. I also play the valveless “natural,” or “baroque,” trumpet, as well as the cornetto, which is a renaissance instrument that resembles both a trumpet and a recorder at the same time. I also am addicted to distance running, and have recently run the Marine Corps, Philadelphia and Boston Marathons, as well as the JFK 50 Miler in Maryland. ff Sailor and Senior Enlisted of the Quarter Apr.-Jun. 2016 MU1 William Dunn and MUC Adam Grimm
Visit us on the Web at www.navyband.navy.mil www.facebook.com/usnavyband www.twitter.com/usnavyband to comment on this issue of fanfare, e-mail us at navyband.comments@navy.mil