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Small town, big dreams: The story of an airman musician

  • Published
  • By SrA Adam Walker
  • PACAF/PAB
August 7, 2014 --  It's true; I'm "not in Kansas anymore!" If I had a nickel... Having been born and raised in Wichita, Kansas for 27 years, the prospect of living in Hawaii had never occurred to me as being in the realm of possibility. One of the main reasons I auditioned for the Air Force Band was that I was told one could "travel the world." That was a very enticing idea having lived in one place my whole life and feeling a bit rudderless at the time. One of my good friends from high school is an excellent guitar player who joined the Air Force as a Bandsmen a few years before I sought the opportunity. He started his career at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. I had kept in contact with him and learned more about the realities of the career field and thought I might be able to succeed in the line of work. My buddy later got orders to Hawaii and I thought "Wow, I really should get in on this!"

I learned of an opening at the Heartland of America Band based out of Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Nebraska. This was very convenient because it's only about a 5 hour drive from Wichita and proved to be the perfect first step in getting out of the comfort zone of my hometown. I won the piano audition at Offutt in 2011 and was very excited to get started with a new direction in life. The most daunting part of joining the military was of course Basic Training. It was a most memorable and beneficial experience and everyone who has been through it has their own stories, but I'll leave that for another time.

The two and a half years stationed in Nebraska were a great experience. I was able to learn the ways of the Air Force Band while still being somewhat close to home, but when I was informed of an opening in Hawaii for which I could volunteer, I jumped at the chance. Though I'd thought of visiting at some point, never did I imagine living on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, much less for the main purpose of performing as a musician - the practice which primarily defines my existence. I learned about getting accepted to PCS (Permanent Change of Station) to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam quite shortly after volunteering and was pretty stunned. There were others with higher rank that could have taken the spot, but for whatever reason, it worked out in my favor. I was actually going to live in Hawaii! It was an incredibly exciting thought, as well as overwhelming. Though change isn't usually a bad thing for me, this would probably be the most drastic of my life thus far. Joining the Air Force was a huge step, but again, I was able to remain relatively close to home. Hawaii... a different story, but I was ready.

After driving to St. Louis to drop off my vehicle for shipment, I walked through freezing winds, ice and snow, ceremoniously bidding "Aloha" to the extreme frigidity of the Midwest that I knew all too well. I embraced the crippling cold at the time because I knew I wouldn't be around it for a while. It was mid-February and in Hawaii, that pretty much means it rains a little more than usual. On the plane, I sat next to a gentleman who lived in Hawaii and worked as a pilot for the show Hawaii 5-0. He gratefully informed me about life on the islands and which ones were in view toward the end of the approximately nine hour flight from the Dallas/ Fort Worth airport. (I had nearly missed the layover because of a delay of the first flight from St. Louis.) Upon arriving at the airport, I noticed the demographics first. One of the aspects I looked forward to about being in such a place was the cultural diversity. I've grown up in somewhat diverse settings, but Hawaii's population greatly illustrates the melting pot that is the United States. Of course, the location of the islands has a little to do with it as well.

Upon first stepping foot outside of the controlled airport climate, the balmy air hit me more drastically than I had expected. It quickly became ridiculous to have on the light jacket I wore on the fairly cool plane. The plant life in Hawaii is unlike anywhere I've ever been. Virtually everywhere that isn't paved is full of more lush, beautiful flora than I ever knew existed. Given the year-round warm stable climate with lots of precipitation, everything flourishes. I'm not sure I've been here a day wherein I didn't see or feel even a little rain. Venturing onto one of the three major highways (H1, H2, or H3) pretty much guarantees engagement of wipers before arriving at one's destination. I love the rain, but having learned the hard way, when going out for a walk or run, awareness of the forecast and preparation regarding is essential. If you don't mind being soaked in tropical rains, no worries! Your electronic devices in tow, however, might not feel the same.

I had previously made some contact via email and such with some of the members of the band, but was anxious about meeting everyone. Since several bandsmen had previously been stationed at Offutt, I at least knew a few people. Akin to the first day of school though, my anxiety was palpable. The entire band save one person was on TDY (Temporary Duty) in Singapore (!) so I didn't undergo the traditional airport welcome. This was fine by me as the over-stimulation of simply being in Hawaii for the first time was enough. Waiting at the baggage claim area was Senior Airman Brian Plank, bass extraordinaire, who had just been blessed with his first child, so he was on leave and didn't go to Singapore with the rest of the band. He was patient, friendly and helpful as I was scattered from the flight and the new surroundings. It took a while to get everything shipped and settled because, oh yeah, it's the middle of the Pacific Ocean!

I was to perform in two of the main groups with the Band of the Pacific: Hana Hou, the pop/rock group and Papana the jazz group. I was also to play in the jazz trio for smaller affairs. The helpfulness of the members made it easy to get going with what I needed to succeed in completing the mission, including making sure I was musically prepared with gear and repertoire. My first shows with the Band of the Pacific were at grade schools with Hana Hou so there wasn't much pressure as there can sometimes be with official gigs. It's close to impossible to mess up a school gig, as bands generally get a rock-star reception, so it was a blast and I felt like I was really becoming a part of the group.

My first tour allowed me the chance to briefly leave the island of Oahu to play in Maui with Hana Hou for the Maui Onion Festival. The flight was first thing in the morning so the time to report was very early and having another school gig scheduled that day, it made for a long one, but we powered through. The next day we took a fairly long drive to a little town called Wailuku that was holding a Final Friday festival in the streets. It was pouring by the time we arrived with around three hours to downbeat. Since the venue was outdoors, it was looking bad for our gig, but it cleared up in just enough time and the town came out in droves ending with a really great show. The main reason for going to Maui was to play for the 25th annual Maui Onion Festival which occurred the third day of tour. We played under a tent for a bevy of onlookers and passers-by. This was the hottest gig I'd played so far with the band, so we were pretty drenched well before the show was over, but it went well. We ate at a really nice restaurant with quintessential Hawaiian food and atmosphere to cap off the night. The fourth and final show took place at the Queen Ka'ahumanu Center, an indoor mall wherein upon arrival I thought "well at least we'll be cool for this one." The stage we played on, however, was under a giant sunroof, so it was still pretty warm, but how could anyone complain? I was in Maui, doing what I love.

Though still at the beginning of my journey here in Hawaii, it is the greatest job in the greatest place I could imagine being, and it wouldn't be possible without the United States Air Force Bands Program.