A Message from the Commanding Officer

The Concert Band and Sea Chanters national tours to the Northeast region this spring were a huge success. I thank all of you who came out and supported us and I welcome those of you who are new to our Navy Band “family” as a result of signing up for fanfare magazine or connecting with us online. It was great to see old friends and make new ones as well.

As our summer concert schedule begins this year, I encourage you to come out and attend a performance. Our ensembles have worked hard to bring you, our concert patrons, some of the best musical entertainment you will find anywhere and all for free. Throughout the summer months we perform weekly concerts at the U.S. Capitol along with our Concerts on the Avenue series at the Navy Memorial and performances at additional venues throughout the region. If you have friends or family visiting the Washington, D.C., area, what better way to spend an evening in our nation’s capital?

Our 11th annual High School Concerto Competition concert will be held on May 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Va. The top three high school musicians will be awarded cash prizes, graciously provided by the National Capital Council – Navy League of the United States and the winner will perform their solo with the Concert Band. These deserving young musicians have worked very hard and had to overcome some strong competition to play at this concert and we applaud their efforts. We like to think that someday one of these fine young musicians may very well be playing in “The World’s Finest.”

Enjoy your summer and let us be a part of your plans this year.

Concerts on the Avenue to commemorate 100 years of naval aviation

by Senior Chief Musician Aaron L. Porter

 

 

Concerts on the Avenue, the Navy Band’s popular summer concert series, will kick off this year on Tuesday, June 14 at 8 p.m. at the U.S. Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.  These high-energy performances, featuring the Concert Band, Sea Chanters and Cruisers, will commemorate 100 years of naval aviation, an anniversary the Navy is celebrating all year long with air shows, flyovers, festivals, open houses and other events at national, regional and local levels. 

On Jan. 18, 1911, civilian pilot Eugene Ely became the first to successfully land a Curtiss pusher biplane onto a makeshift wooden platform fitted to the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania (ACR-4) in San Francisco Bay.  This landmark occasion opened the door for aircraft to make a significant difference in the war fighting and support capabilities of the U.S. Navy.
However, even before Wilbur and Orville Wright proved that powered flight could be a reality, the Navy expressed interest in aircraft, and in 1898, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt recommended an investigation into the military potential of “flying machines.” 

The Wright brothers sold their invention to the U.S. Army in 1909, but expressed grave misgivings about the risks and practicality of launching and landing aircraft aboard a ship.  Their competitor Glenn Curtiss received word in 1910 through one of his pilots, Eugene Ely, that the Navy was interested in attempting a test launch from a ship, and that the Wrights had turned down the opportunity.  Ely eagerly offered to try the launch.
USS Birmingham (Scout Cruiser #2) was fitted with a platform, and on Nov. 14, 1910, Ely successfully took off in a Curtiss pusher biplane, briefly touching water and slightly damaging its propeller.  He safely landed the plane on shore. 
Even though this initial trial was successful, Secretary of the Navy George L. von Meyer remained skeptical and unwilling to purchase an airplane.  Ely and Curtiss changed his mind on Jan. 18, 1911 when Ely was able to take off and land on USS Pennsylvania.  After further improvements, the Navy purchased its first aircraft on May 8, 1911, which is considered the birth date of naval aviation.

From these humble beginnings, naval aviation grew to enable the United States Navy to project power far beyond the deep waters of the world. Design improvements over the years led to the creation of airplanes capable of offensive, defensive and supporting roles.  Eventually, with the scope of naval operations expanding beyond blue water, aircraft carriers supplanted the battleship as the heart of the Navy task force.  Whether it is a fighter, attacker, bomber, observer, hunter, jammer, supplier, or refueler, aircraft have become the Navy’s “teeth” when it comes to carrying out its mission.  Today, with over 3,700 operational aircraft at the ready, naval aviation truly positions America’s Navy as a Global Force for Good.

For a full schedule of our Concerts on the Avenue and all of our performances, please go to the performance schedule pages of this issue.  For the most up-to-date information, check our online events calendar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Navy Band’s 11th annual High School Concerto Competition concert

by Musician 1st Class Ken Fennell

 

The concert featuring the winners of the Navy Band’s 11th annual High School Concerto Competition takes place at the Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax, Va., on Thursday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m.

This concert will highlight some of the finest young musical talent in the country, chosen as a result of a rigorous selection process.  To begin with, each young musician must submit a recording of their performance of a work from a select list of repertoire pieces. Musician 1st Class Christina Bayes, flutist in the Concert Band, is this year’s coordinator for the competition.  Bayes, along with a panel of musicians from the Navy Band, select the finalists from these recordings.  The finalists are invited to perform their solo before the panel, which then selects a winner of the competition, as well as two runners-up.  The winner will play their solo with the Concert Band, and all the finalists will join the band to perform an ensemble selection.  Along with the honor of performing with “The World’s Finest,” the first, second and third place winners receive cash gift card prizes of $250, $150 and $100 respectively, kindly provided by the National Capital Council Navy League.

This competition gives our young performers a great opportunity to perform in public with a professional musical organization and to inspire them to continue their musical pursuits. We hope you’ll be able to join us for this concert.  After all, you may be listening to a future member of the United States Navy Band.

Command master chief selected

by Musician 1st Class Adam K. Grimm

Master Chief Musician David R. Miles	Master Chief Musician Kevin T. Dines

 

Capt. Brian Walden announced to the band on March 27 that Master Chief Musician Kevin Dines had been selected as the Navy Band's command master chief. Dines will replace Master Chief Musician David Miles this summer.

Miles has served the band as command master chief for three years, and will be retiring this year after 30 years of service. He joined the Navy Band in 1981 as a euphonium instrumentalist. During his 30 year career, he has served as the Concert Band operations chief, Concert/Ceremonial leading chief petty officer, Concert Band unit leader and Concert/Ceremonial chief in charge.

Dines, a native of Washington, D.C., is currently serving as the Concert/Ceremonial chief in charge. Prior to that, he was the Ceremonial Band unit leader. He joined the band in 1988 as a trumpet instrumentalist, two years after earning his Bachelor of Music at The Ohio State University.

“I am honored that Capt. Walden has selected me for this position.  By selecting me out of a pool of other highly qualified master chiefs, he has placed a great deal of trust in me and I am excited about leading the enlisted personnel of the Navy Band. 

“The position of command master chief is one of great responsibility to the mission of the command and to its members.  My goal is to be able to help the people of this great organization meet their potential musically as Navy professionals. 

“I have very large shoes to fill, taking over for my predecessor, Master Chief David Miles.  He leaves behind a great legacy in developing leaders at this command.  We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

The command master chief serves as the top enlisted manager, supervises and coordinates activities which affect enlisted personnel, and assists in maintaining the highest standards of conduct, morale and appearance.

Spotlight on...Senior Chief Musician Keith D. Hinton

by Senior Chief Musician Juan Vazquez

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are many “behind the scenes” aspects of a Navy Band performance that are not seen by our audiences. The painstaking details are handled by Senior Chief Musician Keith Hinton and his productions team.

Tell us a little about yourself.

 

I was blessed to have been raised in Yorktown, Va., a small town with a deep appreciation for history due to its significance in both the American Revolution and Civil War. My parents made certain my sister and I learned about the early history of the United States. Neither of my parents were musicians; nonetheless they were extremely supportive of my musical development, driving me all over southeastern Virginia for lessons and concerts.

At The Eastman School of Music I learned much more than how to play the flute. Being naturally curious, I had to know how everything worked: lights, stage mechanics, recording technology, conducting, arranging, anything to do with supporting musical and dramatic performance.  While I enjoyed performing, I loved being part of the larger picture of creating a performance in its entirety, creating an altered reality for an audience.

 

What is your present position?

I hold the title productions chief as a full time position. It has allowed me the time to build on the great work of the people who have preceded me. My role as productions chief is to take an idea or concept and put it into an entertaining and fulfilling musical product that can be enjoyed by a wide demographic. This sounds much easier than it is; the amount of time and research to develop each concert production is substantial. We have a dedicated command productions team which is essential to the creation and development of all of our concerts which include the Concerts on the Avenue, Navy birthday concert, and holiday concert.

Another aspect of my position is video and multimedia development. Thanks to great work by our public affairs and Web team, the Navy Band has a strong presence on the internet and the videos we have created have been seen by over 30,000 people on our YouTube channel.

What led you to put performing in the background and place your energies into the productions position?

 

I am often asked why I moved from performing to production and my honest answer is this is the path God has led me. He instilled my interest in production over twenty years ago, led me to areas where I could develop various skills, and provided me the opportunity to put it into practice in the Navy Band.

What are your most memorable career highlights?

I have been part of six national concert tours with the Concert Band (two as soloist), eight tours with the Sea Chanters as musical director, two Great American Road Races, two Sweden military tattoos, four presidential inaugurations, and too many public concerts and ceremonies to remember. But, there are three that are very vivid in my memory. The first would be the National Prayer Service on Sept. 14, 2001, at the National Cathedral. The nation was in need of comfort and the Sea Chanters provided it with glorious singing. The outpouring of appreciation was humbling.

Second would be the memorial service for the space shuttle Columbia in February 2003.  We sat directly in front of the grieving families whose faces I will never forget. It gave me even greater respect for the courage of our astronauts.

Third would be a private after-dinner performance the Sea Chanters gave at the White House for President George W. Bush. The performance was great, but it was the twenty minutes of private time we had with the president afterwards that I remember fondly.

What do you enjoy doing when not working?

I savor the time I spend with my immediate family and the church family. I like to travel and read, particularly scriptural or theological commentary. 

 

Welcome Aboard

Welcome Aboard to...

 

Musician 1st Class (AW) Cory A. Parker	Musician 1st Class Athus F. DeLima	Musician 1st Class Jeremy T. Saunders

 

Musicians 1st Class Cory Parker, vocalist with the Cruisers, from Navy Band New Orleans; Athus DeLima, bassist with the Cruisers, from Navy Band New Orleans; and Jeremy Saunders, saxophonist with the Cruisers, from Navy Band Great Lakes.

Congratulations and Farewell

Congratulations and Farewell to...

 

Senior Chief Musician Timothy K. Roberts	Musician 1st Class Patrick L. Johnson	Musician 1st Class Dustin J. Lucas

 

Senior Chief Musician Timothy Roberts and Musicians 1st Class Patrick Johnson and Dustin Lucas. Roberts retires after 24 years of service. He was principal saxophonist in the Concert Band and his list of accomplishments in both saxophone performance and education are numerous. He coordinated the International Saxophone Symposium for many years and performed solos with the Concert Band and the National Symphony Orchestra. Johnson retires after 20 years of service as the alto/contra alto and contra bass clarinet instrumentalist of the Concert Band. Johnson was a stellar clarinetist and founding member of the Harbor Winds clarinet quartet and also worked tirelessly as a volunteer in his local community. Lucas leaves the Navy Band after serving four years in the Sea Chanters to pursue a career in opera with multiple organizations.