Childhood path to Academy Band member Published March 19, 2008 By Butch Wehry Academy Spirit staff USAF Academy -- Her parents tell her she sang nursery rhymes before she talked. She started playing the piano at age 5. When her brother would play what he had learned at his lesson, she would walk up to the piano and repeat when he had played without the music. That's when the family decided it was time for her to have lessons. "I remember hearing recordings of the oboe and wanting to play it, but was told I had to start on clarinet, so I played clarinet for two years before starting oboe at age 12," said Tech. Sgt. Sarah Balian. Thus began the journey to Air Force Specialty Code 3N271, premier band craftsman and oboe player for the Academy Band. Born in Bristol, England, and raised in Charlottesville, Va., she plays oboe, English horn, pennywhistle, bass recorder, native American flute, duduk (an Armenian double reed instrument), piano and alto sax. She holds a bachelor of music performance degree and a bachelor of arts in French Studies degree from Northwestern University, where she studied with Chicago Symphony oboist Ray Still. She has also studied with Roger Cole and with André Berthéas at the Université de Paris. This unique Airman was a member of the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra from 1997-1999 and the Boulder Philharmonic from 2002-2004. She is currently a member of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and is on the performance faculty at Colorado College. Sergeant Balian has also performed with the Colorado Symphony, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Richmond Symphony and the Ash Lawn Opera. The 9-year Air Force veteran has also branched into singing. She joined Air Force Academy Band in 1999 and plays principal oboe in the concert band and Academy Winds woodwind quintet. "I am not a singer by trade, but have had the opportunity to sing quite a bit with the band; harmony vocals with the concert band and a few a cappella tunes we recorded for a CD," she said. "Singing is fun and a great addition to playing the oboe. That's one great thing about our job; we are able to become very versatile musicians and wear many different hats - it makes the performances more interesting for the audience." Now she is also learning Irish dancing for the band's spring tour. "It's never boring," said the NCO. "As far as what I like to sing, these days it's whatever my twin daughters like. You Are My Sunshine is a favorite." She listens to just about anything that's well done, from bluegrass to opera. "I came straight here from Lackland in 1999 and have been here ever since. The band career field is unique in how we hire, instead of training after basic military training, the Air Force auditions pre-trained civilian musicians for open slots before they go to BMT," she said. "After winning an audition, we go to BMT and then come straight to the band, no tech school." She found herself among band people who went to all sorts of great music schools like Juilliard and Eastman, as well as several who hold doctorates. As one of two premiere bands in the Air Force, the Academy Band is a permanent assignment. It is possible to do an entire career here, like her husband, Scott, did. She said her job means lots of behind-the-scenes work. "First, the musical aspect; practicing, preparation, instrument maintenance, making reeds and our collateral duties," Sergeant Balian said. "Each member of the band has additional duties that help keep the band in motion. We book tours, we have a supply area, a library and a publicity shop. In addition to playing in the Concert Band and Academy Winds, I run the Chamber Recital Series and work with Media Relations. "I divide my time between reed making and practicing. The amount of time depends on what I have coming up with rehearsals and concerts. It can vary from a half hour to several hours each day." There have been performances she personally feels good about. "There was an English horn recital two years ago, a concerto with the band at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, a Boulder Philharmonic concert with a great English horn," she said. "But as far as audience impact goes, playing for the Navajo code talkers on the Navajo reservation in Arizona was an amazing experience. We played a piece written by a band member that talked about their contributions during WWII. Seeing them there in uniform was unforgettable." For now, happiness seems to come from work and family. One benefit of her permanent assignment in Colorado Springs is that it gives her a good chance to establish contacts outside the Air Force. Many band members actively free-lance outside duty hours, and quite a few do this full-time after they retire. Sergeant Balian is a member of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic and is on the faculty at the Colorado College. "I've been married for 4 years," she said. "My wonderful husband, Scott, a bass player, retired from the band several years ago. We have beautiful 4-month-old twin daughters, Grace and Violet." The Academy Band has had three groups from the band deploy - one is currently in theater. The deployed groups provide a valuable service by entertaining the troops and giving them a taste of home. "They also interact with the local people and play concerts for children," the sergeant said. "There's a possibility that a woodwind group may deploy in a year or so. We would carry out a community relations mission by performing and doing clinics in universities. Leaving my family would be difficult, but based on feedback from those band members who have deployed, I know it would be an amazing experience." The band has various different performing groups, and they all play both locally and nationwide. "We tour three to four times a year with the concert band for a maximum of two weeks at a time, as well as twice with our small groups for about a week each time," Sergeant Balian said. "Locally, we support the Air Force Academy's mission by performing for cadet functions, formations and ceremonies. We also perform public concerts on a regular basis." Has she been bitten by showbusiness? "I once heard Bela Fleck say that you should only be a musician if you can't picture yourself doing anything else. This is how I feel about it. Music will always be a part of my life," she said. "We often have a chance to meet the audience members after performances. They are very generous in sharing their feelings about what they've heard, and each one always has an interesting story to tell. Some are musicians, some are veterans, some are both. It's great to know when you've touched someone with your music - it's the most rewarding part of the job!" Is she addicted to the personal thoughts and feelings that move through her after a totally successful show? "Feeling that a show has been successful can happen on a couple of different levels feeling good about how you've performed is one, and knowing you've connected with your audience is another," said the multi-talented Airman. "When you accomplish both, it's really magical - the group can feed off of the musical energy of the other performers on stage as well as the energy from the audience. After a concert like this, it takes awhile to wind down."