“The military is one of the largest employers of musicians in the Washington area,” with the Marine Band, Army Band, Navy Band, and Air Force Band all based there, writes Anne Midgette in Saturday’s (7/19) Washington Post. “Yet all of this funding doesn’t protect military bands from some of the challenges that face private-sector ensembles: shrinking budgets, aging audiences and larger questions of purpose. ‘I’m always trying to compare what we’re doing with the orchestra world,’ says Col. Larry H. Lang, the commander and conductor of the Air Force Band…. ‘We’re struggling for audience, and relevance.’ … Lang says, ‘I think if [detractors] really had a chance to come and see how effective we were, how powerful music is when we’re trying to work with diplomatic efforts; when we’re trying to help a wounded warrior recover; when you’re trying to introduce a young person in school to music: I’m seeing every day how powerful and effective it is.’ Many orchestra conductors might make the same argument…. ‘It’s definitely a different job than what I had in mind as a dewy-eyed 20-year-old at Eastman,” says Staff Sgt. Emily Ross, who plays clarinet in the Army’s ceremonial band. ‘But I’m earning my living playing my instrument.’ ”
Posted July 22, 2014
