An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
HomeMultimediaNewsArticle Display

A Tale of Two Trumpets

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Marc Dinitz
Washington D.C. --  It is a rare occurrence for an instrumentalist in The United States Air Force Band to switch from one performing ensemble to another during their career, and even rarer still to switch back to the original group where they started. This is exactly what happened, however, to not one but two senior trumpeters in the Band earlier this month, Chief Master Sgt. Robert McConnell and Senior Master Sgt. Michael Bosch. Both of these talented musicians recently switched between the Ceremonial Brass and the Concert Band for the second time in their careers, and both have fond memories from each group during their time there.

McConnell began his Air Force career in 1993 as a member of the Band of the Golden West at Travis Air Force Base in Calif., and joined the Ceremonial Brass in Washington, D.C. in 1996. After spending two years in that group, McConnell filled an opening for assistant principal trumpet in the Concert Band. There he spent the next 15 years, serving as principal trumpet for the last two. Earlier this month, McConnell was appointed flight chief for the Ceremonial Brass, which required him to move back to the performing group where he first started.

While he feels very fortunate to be selected to lead and perform with the Ceremonial Brass, McConnell will miss the great performances with the Concert Band and has many highlights to look back on. While he mentions the three Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic performances in Chicago as musical highlights during his career, it was the Band's tour following Sept. 11, 2001 that really moved him. "The impact that our music had on the audiences during those performances following the tragic events in our country really was special for me," McConnell said.

McConnell's role with the Ceremonial Brass will be much busier this time around, as he will not only be a musician, but also the leader for the 38 members of the group. The Ceremonial Brass performs more than 1,100 missions a year, including 800 funerals at Arlington Cemetery. McConnell added, "It is an honor to be selected to lead this group in the important mission of performing final honors for our fallen heroes."

Senior Master Sgt. Michael Bosch began his Air Force career in Washington, D.C. in 1996, when he won an audition for the Concert Band. After five years with this group, Bosch filled an opening with the Ceremonial Brass, where he spent the next 12 years. During this time, Bosch supported countless funerals at Arlington Cemetery, as well as events throughout the area for the highest leaders of government including the president of the United States and foreign dignitaries from around the world. One of Bosch's most memorable performances was playing taps for the 2010 National Memorial Day Concert at the U.S. Capitol on PBS television.

Bosch is now back as principal trumpet in the Concert Band, after filling the position left by McConnell. He is happy in his new role with his "old" group, and has a new appreciation for the band and both groups he has called home. "I appreciate the Concert Band job a lot more at this point in my career than when I first started," says Bosch, who acknowledges that the Ceremonial Brass job is much more physically demanding.

No matter which group these senior members happen to be performing with, McConnell and Bosch both recognize the high level of the musicians within the unit as a whole, and are proud to represent all Air Force members' excellence and professionalism every day.