If You Enjoy the Music, Thank This Airman Published Sept. 12, 2013 By Master Sgt. Marc Dinitz Washington D.C. -- If you have ever attended a concert by the U.S. Air Force Concert Band, you have no doubt heard the "flying fingers" of the Band's virtuosic clarinet section. There is one clarinetist in that section, however, that is concentrating not only on the thousands of notes he must flawlessly play during each concert, but also on the reaction of audience members to each piece and each concert as a whole. Senior Master Sgt. Brian McCurdy, who just recently pinned on his new rank Aug. 1, is the flight programming manager for the Concert Band and plays a key role in creating the various themes for the Band's concerts and picking music to fit each theme. McCurdy, who has been in this programming role for the past three years, first starts brainstorming with the Band's program committee to develop themes and discuss potential works for the Concert Band to perform. These themes may have to do with the time of year or may focus on an upcoming holiday or an event such as the Summer Olympics. Other recent concert themes have included "A Night at the Opera" and "World Tour," which included different styles of music from many international composers, as well as choral music in different languages. Whatever the theme may be, the concerts always communicate certain Air Force messages through music--whether it is highlighting the strength of the active duty force or articulating the diverse nature of the Air Force and the United States as a whole. Once a theme is picked, it is time to start making music selections for each concert. Every show might have between 10 and 12 works, so it can be a time-consuming process to fit relevant music into each theme. For certain concerts, some of the works are easily chosen, such as picking John Williams' "Summon the Heroes" for an Olympic-themed concert. Other times, there may be more unfamiliar music that fits a specific theme that McCurdy must learn about and track down. Luckily, he takes pleasure in the research aspect of his job to find the perfect pieces for each concert and loves receiving feedback from his fellow musicians on potential pieces to program. "I enjoy acting as a liaison between the musicians and our leadership who ultimately approve the programs," says McCurdy. With the sheer number of public performances given by the Concert Band, it is safe to say that when McCurdy is not playing his instrument in rehearsals, he is probably at his desk doing research for a future concert. While McCurdy spends many hours on this very important job, he does appreciate his important role within the band. "I feel fortunate to be in a position that allows me to work with music details both in and out of rehearsal," says McCurdy, "and am proud to play a role in helping to present the best possible concerts to our audiences."