Performances for vets, music educators and public in North Carolina

Published Oct. 23, 2014
By Chief Master Sgt. Jenn Pagnard

Washington, D.C. -- In mid-November, the Concert Band and vocalists from the Singing Sergeants are hitting the road for a 5-day tour through North Carolina. The performances will be conducted by the Band's newest officer, Lt. Col. Donald Schofield Jr. This is his second assignment with The U.S. Air Force Band, Washington D.C. From 2001 to 2003, he was handpicked to serve as the tenth director of the Air Force Strings where he led performances across the country, and at the White House, Pentagon and Washington National Cathedral before international audiences.

The opening concert for this mini-tour is on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m., at the Seby B. Jones Performing Arts Center at Louisburg College. Free tickets are available at the Jones Performing Arts Center Box Office, Monday through Friday, from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, please call 866-773-6354.

Their next tour appearance will be a public concert at Charlotte Catholic High School on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. For free tickets, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Air Force Band Tickets, 9013 Raintree Lane, Charlotte, N.C. 28277.

A highlight of the trip will be a featured performance at the North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference in Winston-Salem on Monday, Nov. 10. Two of the vocalists featured on the concert are especially excited to be returning to North Carolina, as they are natives of "The Tar Heel State."

Soprano, Chief Master Sgt. Robin Askew McConnell, is originally from Chapel Hill where she attended Chapel Hill High School. Upon graduation, she enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in vocal performance. She has been an Air Force member since 1995.

Master Sgt. Eric Sullivan, baritone, hails from Wilson and graduated from James B. Hunt Jr. High School. He holds a Bachelor's degree in voice performance from East Carolina University, and a Master of Music degree in voice performance and pedagogy from Northern Illinois University. His Air Force career began in 2000.

The program for the NCMEA conference will open with North Carolina-native Steven Bryant's "Ecstatic Fanfare" conducted by his wife and director of Duke University Wind Symphony, Dr. Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant. McConnell, Sullivan and tenor, Master Sgt. Joseph Haughton, will present Opera arias. The Concert Band will present selections including "Firefly" by Ryan George, "Rio's Convergence" by Justin Freer and Wayne Oquin's "Tower Ascending."

The last day of the trip is Nov. 11, Veterans Day. To commemorate this important American holiday, Schofield will be a guest on WRAL/WRAZ TV's morning news in Raleigh, North Carolina. That afternoon, a Brass Quintet, along with members of the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard, will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring veterans of all services. The U.S. Air Force Band is grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Durham VA Medical Center for this very special event.