Concert Band & Singing Sergeants Embark on Fall Tour 2016!

Published Aug. 26, 2016
By Technical Sgt. Kaitlin Taylor

Washington, D.C. -- As the last days of summer near and kids head back to school, The United States Air Force Concert Band and Singing Sergeants gear up for their annual fall tour. Over the course of ten days, these musical flights will travel through Ohio and Pennsylvania, performing in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and many cities in between.

As part of The U.S. Air Force Band, these public concerts support our mission to honor those who have served, inspire American citizens to heightened patriotism and service, and impact the global community positively, on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and the United States. The season is sure to be filled with an eclectic mix of modern concert band compositions, standard marches and patriotic favorites.

This fall tour is of special interest as it is a homecoming of sorts for many USAF Band members. The Ohio schools represented within our ranks are Cleveland Institute of Music, Miami of Ohio, Youngstown University, Cedarville University, University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), Bowling Green State University, The Ohio State University and Kent State.

The first stop takes the band to Cincinnati, where 7 Concert Band and Singing Sergeant members attended the University of Cincinnati. Senior Master Sergeant Julianna Arnold, an alumna of the school states: "I'm thrilled to be playing at CCM again after almost 17 years. My experience there as a graduate student enriched my life in many ways and prepared me for a career in music in the Air Force." It will be with a sense of nostalgia and pride that these USAF Band members return to the stage of their college and graduate years.

As the tour continues, clarinetist Master Sergeant Mindy Burts, an Ohio native, will solo with the Band. "In my 19 years as a member of the United States Air Force Band, this is the first time the group has played a concert in Lima. I'm so excited to be back on the Civic Center stage, where I performed many times in my youth. I have played in that hall with numerous All-District honor bands, as well as the Lima Area Concert Band. I'm honored to be a soloist with the Air Force Band on this tour and can't wait to see the faces of family and friends in the hall!"

Throughout the upcoming tour, members of The Air Force Band will work with students in masterclasses, lessons and "side-by-side" rehearsals and performances in schools and universities as part of the Advancing Innovation through Music Program or AIM. AIM strives to build positive relationships with educational communities to impact school-aged children and their adult influencers.

It has become a tradition in recent years for local high school band and choir students to join the Band in performance. This gives young musicians the opportunity to experience a level of musical and Air Force professionalism that they have likely not encountered before. "The AIM program was created to have a way to introduce music to all ages and bring The Air Force Band into communities and schools," said Technical Sergeant Sara Wollmacher, one of our key AIM Program coordinators.

As your United States Air Force Band embarks on this Midwestern fall tour, be sure to keep track of us on Facebook and Twitter, or come hear us live in your area. We hope to see you on the road!

Please Click Here for the complete list of concert and ticket information.