USAF Band Welcomes New Commander
The United States Air Force Band is proud to welcome Lieutenant Col. Alan Sierichs as the organization's new commander. His Change of Command Ceremony took place on Monday, June 29, in Arnald Gabriel Hall inside of historic Hangar 2, the home of The Air Force Band. Lieutenant Col. Sierichs was previously the Deputy Commander of the Band, and came to Washington after serving as Commander of The Air Force Band of Flight, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. He has served in the Air Force for over twenty years as a performer and commander assigned to the Air Force Band program.
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From the Commander
Friends of The Air Force Band
| This edition of e-Cadenza marks a first for me--my debut as a feature writer in a publication. My brother, the newspaper editor, is most certainly cringing right about now! However, nobody is more surprised than me that my Air Force journey has brought me to this place at this time. You see, I still distinctly remember the first time I saw The Air Force Band--it was in the Union Theater on the campus of Louisiana State University in spring of 1975 during my freshman year of college. Colonel Arnald Gabriel was on the podium, Sergeant Donald Riale was the trumpet soloist, the first half of the concert ended with the 1812 Overture and the second half was devoted to the story of aviation. Colonel Gabriel even invited our college band director, Bill Swor, to conduct the National Emblem March. There I was in the audience, overwhelmed and mesmerized, thinking how cool it would be to be part of that band! At that time in my life all I wanted to be was a trumpet player--who would have ever guessed all these years later I would become the leader of The Air Force Band. Certainly not me! Read more... |
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Strathmore Performance to Broadcast on Veterans Day Weekend Several units from The USAF Band, along with world-class guest artists, will be featured in an upcoming television broadcast on Veterans Day weekend. The event was taped on June 17 at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Md. Guest artists included Ronan Tynan, Shemekia Copeland, Michael Feinstein, and Louis Gossett, Jr. To find a local public television station in your area that will televise the event, please check our website throughout the summer and fall. Read more... |
Technical Sgt. Sandra Sisk Second Bassoonist, The USAF Concert Band A day in the life of the Second Bassoonist in The United States Air Force Band is not the "minimal" role that such a job title could merit. In fact, it is in many ways just the opposite. It is true that the bassoon is not a loud instrument and the lines I usually play are often doubled--even tripled--in much louder instruments like the tuba and euphonium. Needless to say, when I found out that we would be traveling to the Midwest on our spring 2009 tour, I jumped at the chance to be a tour soloist in Weber's "Andante and Rondo." Read more... |
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4th of July Events!
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Celebrate freedom with The United States Air Force Band on July 4th! There will be two opportunities to come out and hear units of The United States Air Force Band on Independence Day. Come and check out Max Impact at the National Air and Space Museum at 6:00 p.m., or you can bring your lawn chair to the Air Force Memorial and watch a performance by the Concert Band and Singing Sergeants at 8:00 p.m. followed by a spectacular view of the fireworks on the mall. Both shows will be free and open to the public. The National Air and Space Museum, which will be the site of Max Impact's performance, is located on Independence Ave. at 6th Street SW, Washington, DC. The Air Force Memorial is located at 1 Air Force Memorial Drive off of Columbia Pike in Arlington, Va.
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AF Band Caps Off Music Education Week in Washington  On Friday, June 19, The Concert Band and Singing Sergeants performed at the conclusion of Music Education Week. Music Educators National Conference (MENC) sponsored the annual celebration. The performance, emceed by television personality Florence Henderson, showcased the importance of music education in America. Select student musicians from all over the United States joined the Band and Singers for the concert. The performance provided these gifted young students a chance to make music with industry professionals. Members of The Air Force Band are products of the public music education programs that MENC seeks to sustain. Read more... |
Hails and Farewells The United States Air Force Band wishes to say thank you and farewell to the following member: Chief Master Sgt. David L. Nokes, Director of Strategic Communications---Retirement And we would like to welcome our newest member: Technical Sgt. David Rosengaft, Concert Band--Trombone |
Recollections
The United States Air Force Band is continually working to expand our archives and capture details of the historic music made throughout the years. "Recollections" was designed to enlist your help in this process. Each month we include a photo, or collection of photos, where we welcome your memories and recollections. Please take a moment to reflect on the photographs shown here. If you have any insight as to who is in them, when or where they were taken, or any stories you can share about the event, please email Band Historian Technical Sgt. Tracey MacDonald at USAFBandHistorian@afncr.af.mil. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!
We are looking for any information you may have on how The United States Air Force Band acquired this historic World War II painting "O'er the Ramparts We Watched" by Jes W. Schlaikjer. Please click either of the images below to see them on our website. When there, select "Download Full Image" to view a larger, more detailed picture.
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Recollections Revealed
To read newly-discovered background information pertaining to the photos we included in last month's Cadenza, please click here.
