Klarinet Archive - Posting 000117.txt from 2007/09

From: Wayne Thompson <wthompson222@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Military Bands
Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:15:05 -0400

When I lived in Escondido, California, (before 2003)
the band of the 1st Marine Division, based at Camp
Pendleton, would perform at our local Performing Arts
Center regularly. I remember hearing an NPR interview
with members of that band after they had been shipped
out with the division in the early days of the Iraq
war. The timing and details are from my memory, but
it seems that there was no combat yet, and that they
were serving as some sort of Headquarters protection
as riflemen. Their instruments were in a wearhouse in
Kuwait. This is not one of the 'special bands'
mentioned by Karl.

I remember in the interview there was a mention of
listening to a recording by the Marine Band in
Washington, definitely a special band, and one of
marines saying, "Hey, Sarge, we can outplay that,
right?" He sounded like a Marine, all right. :)

Is there a still a Navy (and Marine) music school in
Virginia Beach? And are there still numerous non
'special' bands in the field? Is this the sort of
program you are considering, Vincent?

Wayne Thompson

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