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Air Force artistry showcased in FREE concert series

  • Published
  • By MSgt Sherry Garza
  • USAF Band of the Golden West
Travis AFB, CA --  The U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West will present concerts in April that showcase artistry and creativity of professional, Airmen musicians. The Chamber Players recital series gives local audiences the opportunity to hear fine chamber works while providing a unique creative outlet for the performers. Promising a program of variety and virtuosity, the concerts will be presented locally at venues in Dixon, Suisun City, and Sacramento.

Airman 1st Class Alaina Pritz, clarinetist with the Concert Band and Wild West Winds quartet, is looking forward to the musical freedom of the Chamber Players.

"The sky is the limit when it comes to composers, the mix of instruments involved in each piece and the style," says Pritz. "The series is an excellent setting for Band of the Golden West musicians to showcase their talents beyond what they demonstrate more frequently in [the] Concert Band."

Audience members will be treated to a smorgasbord of instruments, to include flute, marimba, clarinet, French horn, trombone, trumpet, and many more. Featuring works chosen by the musicians themselves, the soloists and small ensembles will perform a variety of chamber music favorites to include Ravel, Gould, Bach, and Strauss.

"It's nice to be able to perform great music in non-traditional ensembles and collaborate artistically with people I usually would not perform much with," says Airman 1st Class Daniel Nebel, the band's newest member. He will perform on the series as part of an unusual combo, a flute and horn duet.

Free concerts are one of the ways that Travis Air Force Base says thank you to the surrounding communities for providing year-round support to its members. As a part of Air Mobility Command, Travis AFB airmen provide worldwide cargo and passenger delivery, air refueling and aeromedical evacuation. This often includes delivering humanitarian supplies to hurricane, flood and earthquake victims both at home and around the world.

Veteran Air Force Bandsman and percussionist, Technical Sergeant Christi Gilley, is looking forward to representing Air Force excellence through music as a Chamber Recital performer.

"The audience is definitely in for a treat when attending the recital series. It's an intimate setting where they can really see the musicians' talents stand out," says Gilley. "I don't get to play a 5-octave marimba much anymore, so I'm embracing the recital series and having a lot of fun with it!"

The band will perform the following FREE Chamber Recitals:

April 5th, 6 PM, Dixon High School Theater, 555 College Way, Dixon; FREE tickets available at the Dixon Chamber of Commerce and The Tribune; for more info, call 707-678-2650.

April 6th, 3 PM, Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, 586 Widgeon Way, Suisun City; FREE tickets available at Kroc Community Center; for more info, call 707-439-7880.

April 7th, 7 PM, St. John's Lutheran Church, 1701 L Street, Sacramento; FREE tickets available at St. John's Lutheran Church; for more info, call 916-444-0874.

For more information, visit the Appearances page of the USAF Band of the Golden West website: http://www.bandofthegoldenwest.af.mil/events/index.asp