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Max Impact Set to Release New Original Music Video

  • Published
  • By Technical Sgt. Nalani Quintello
Washington, D.C. --  Max Impact has done it again! The United States Air Force Band is proud to announce Max Impact's new original song and music video "Find You."

Co-written by the band's guitarist, Senior Master Sgt. Matt Ascione, and the noncommissioned officer in charge and vocalist of Max Impact, Senior Master Sgt. Ryan Carson, the song was produced exclusively for the Air Education and Training Command at Lackland Air Force Base, otherwise known as "The Gateway to the Air Force."

"I felt the need to tell the story of how someone sheds the metaphorical 'outer shell' that they have when first entering the military and realizes that there is more inside of them than they ever thought possible," Ascione said.

Both Ascione and Carson had the honor of visiting Basic Military Training (BMT) last year to spark an inspiration in the songwriting process and see what really goes on behind the scenes.

"BMT is a tough place!" stated Carson. "It is a tough place to work as a Military Training Instructor (MTI) and a tough place to be as a young man or woman who, many times, is away from home for the very first time. Both parties endure long and stressful days molding Airmen and becoming Airmen."

The USAF Band's producer, Chief Master Sgt. Jebodiah Eaton, supervised the project and brought together several organizations within the Air Force to make it happen.

"It is my function to figure out how to create what the customer requests," explained Eaton. "The professional commitment by BMT, 3rd Combat Camera and the 502 Civil Engineering squadron ensured a smooth process from start to finish."

The music video was taped on the BMT parade field where thousands of Airmen have marched at their own graduation ceremony after "finding themselves" over a brutal 9-week transformation to become the newest members of the world's greatest Air Force.

"You have to dig deep and 'find yourself' amongst the doubts and fears you may have when first becoming a part of the military," Ascione shared. "The title 'Find You' seemed a fitting expression when we set out to write the tune, and that is the message we hope is conveyed in the song."

The process of creating "Find You" was nothing new for the group. Master Sgt. Jonathan McPherson, the band's musical director and keyboard player, explained it this way: "Being a part of such a talented team of musicians is extremely rewarding, and I think going to the studio always brings out the best creativity in each of us."

McPherson actually recorded his keyboard tracks on his laptop independently of the rest of the band in a conference room located next door to the studio.

"It's great to watch a song take its own shape, and turn into something truly unique that could only have happened as a collaborative effort," he added.

Max Impact has already proven they can produce original music and lyrics that are bound to leave a lasting legacy on the Air Force Band. Not only does Max Impact have the capability of writing original music, they do so by incorporating specific Air Force missions into their lyrics as we have already witnessed with their earlier hits "Send Me" and "American Airman."

"I don't have a tried and true process but I do think that a song should have the ability to stand on its own as a story without music," Ascione shared. "Without the story, you really have nothing. However, the music is there to enhance those lyrics and provide the emotional impact that the words alone may not be able to convey."

Ascione, who has who has written almost fifteen songs while serving in the Air Force, pointed out some other things he learned while visiting BMT.

"I enjoyed watching the MTI's teach the trainees as they improved and gained more confidence," he noted. "MTI's have a very specific reason why they do everything they do, from the yelling, to the stress that they put the trainees under, as well as praising them when they do well. It's a fantastic and well-oiled machine that makes me proud to be a member of this amazing Air Force."

The official video release date for Max Impact's "Find You" is May 1, 2017. Mark your calendars now!