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Officer Hails and Farewells

  • Published
  • By Master Sgts. Brandon Chaney and Jake McCray
Washington, D.C. --  Summertime is usually a time of change and personnel rotations within the Air Force, and The U.S. Air Force Band is no different.

The month of August was a bittersweet one as the Band said farewell to two of its distinguished leaders, Maj. Michael Willen and 1st Lt. Shanti Simon Nolan, as they headed out to their new assignments.

The permanent change of station, or PCS, is something all officers who serve in the Band career field must carry out, and it is based primarily on the staffing needs of the Air Force. However, it also enriches the officer's career by giving him or her added leadership opportunities in a variety of different work environments within the band career path.

Willen served as director of Operations for the Band and was also the officer in charge of the Ceremonial Brass and the Marketing and Outreach section. A native of Marion, Indiana, he was raised in Yuma, Arizona.

He graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Arizona in 1991. During that same year, he was selected by audition for the graduate program in Wind Conducting at Northwestern University. After completing his Master of Music degree at Northwestern in 1992, he became the director of Band Organizations at Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson, Arizona. In 1999, he earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music.

Prior to joining Air Force, Willen served as the director of Bands at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. For his next assignment, he will serve as the Air Force Chief of Music at the Pentagon.

During her tenure at the Band, 1st Lt. Shanti Simon Nolan served as the officer in charge of the Air Force Strings, Airmen of Note, Max Impact, as well as and the Band's Production and Marketing and Outreach sections. She was commissioned in October 2011 from Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. She conducted performances with all of the Band's ensembles throughout the national capital region and around the country, including the 2011 National Tree Lighting Ceremony with the Airmen of Note hosted by President Obama and the First Family.

Before joining the Air Force, Nolan earned her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Minnesota where she studied with Craig Kirchhoff. She received her Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Music degrees from Stetson University in Florida under Bobby Adams. Nolan also served as the associate director of Bands at Vero Beach High School in Florida for four years.

These outgoing officers will be sorely missed by all of the Band's Airmen musicians as well as by those who built strong relationships with them in the Washington, D.C. community. For Nolan, this was her first assignment and will soon take over as flight commander and assistant conductor at the U.S. Air Force Academy Band at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "I will always cherish the incredible people and music we made together. The opportunity to work with some of the best musicians in the country taught me so much about music and life," Nolan stated.

There is a chance the two could again find themselves serving at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C. at some other point later in their careers as staffing needs dictate. Willen, who also served as a squadron section commander in the Band from 2005 to 2007, stated, "Although my time here as the director of Operations was brief, I am grateful to have had this opportunity to serve alongside the fantastic Airmen musicians of The U.S. Air Force Band. Being selected as the next Air Force Chief of Music is a humbling honor. I look forward to serving the talented men and women who make up the entire Air Force Band career field."

Lt. Col. Donald Schofield, previously of the U.S. Air Force Academy Band, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado will be taking over for Willen as The U.S. Air Force Band's director of Operations, as well as the officer in charge of the Ceremonial Brass, Airmen of Note and the Production section.

A native of Atlanta, he earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Georgia, a Master of Music degree from Louisiana State University and is currently a candidate for the Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in music education from Boston University. He has studied performance and conducting with Dr. Dwight Satterwhite, Professor Frank Wickes and Dr. David Randolph.

Prior to joining the Air Force, Schofield was a successful teacher in the public schools of Georgia. This is Schofield's second time serving in The U.S. Air Force Band.  From 2001 to 2003, he was handpicked as the tenth director of the Air Force Strings served 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. When asked about returning to the Band, he said,

"I am thrilled to be returning back to The United States Air Force Band!  Growing up in the Band as a first lieutenant and a young captain, my development and leadership were molded by the senior officers and enlisted leaders of the band that graciously imparted their wisdom and experiences.  I look forward to bringing my command and deployment perspective to the unit and being a part of this impactful worldwide mission.  The men and women of The U.S. Air Force Band embody the highest levels of Air Force professionalism to audiences around the globe, and I am humbled that I once again get to be a part of it."

Capt. Joseph Hansen, who was most recently the deputy commander and associate conductor of the U.S. Air Force Band of the West, will also be joining the Band. Prior to joining the Air Force, he was a successful band and orchestra teacher in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He graduated with honors from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Music degree in music education. He went on to complete his master of music degree at Southern Oregon University through the American Band College. "My family and I are amazed at the rich history and natural beauty of the D.C. area.  I am excited to work with the exceptional musicians of The U.S. Air Force Band in the missions serving our government leaders, military members and citizens," Hansen said.

Indeed, The U.S. Air Force Band is like a very large family. Although our officers make up a small percentage of our organization, they are an absolutely vital and critical component. The next time you attend one of our concerts, please make it a point to meet one of our talented officers, because they'd love to meet with you!