thedrifter
03-21-08, 03:00 PM
First MarDiv Band Earns Musical Honors
Marine Corps News | Cpl. Chris T. Mann | March 19, 2008
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Maj. Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, commanding general, 1st Marine Division, presented members of the 1st Marine Division Band with the Col. George S. Howard award for musical excellence at the band hall at Camp Margarita March 17.
The Howard award is an international award given by the John Philip Sousa Foundation for musical achievement to members of the defense community, both active duty and reservist.
"We are very proud to receive this award," said Chief Warrant Officer Joshua A. Stone, band officer. "Our Marines worked countless hours practicing for the performance in Escondido and for the pieces that were recorded for the final submission."
This is the first time the award has been presented to the 1st Marine Division Band and 14 years since a band under the leadership of the Marine Corps has received this award.
"I am proud of you and what you do for the Marine Corps," said Waldhauser. "You can just tell by way you carry yourself and perform in concert that you all enjoy what you do."
Waldhauser made a special visit to not only present the band with the award on behalf of the Sousa foundation, but took time to visit each section and individual unit attached with the band.
Waldhauser met band members and sat down with the Marines in their working environments to evaluate and congratulate them on their recent performances.
Three pieces were submitted to Sousa committee members for the band during the annual competition. The submissions were live video recording of a concert held last spring at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, Calif.
The committee requires musical performances to be recorded during live band concerts and at least one musical piece to be a march written by Sousa.
Committee members made unanimous decisions after carefully reviewing submissions sent in from global defense units. A large number of video submissions were mailed in from foreign military bands, not just U.S. military units.
"I know you are members of the band, but I know you all deploy and have many Marine Corps responsibilities as well," said Waldhauser.
"When we put on the concert in Escondido, most of our band members had just returned from deploying to Fallujah, 39 days prior to the concert," said Stone.
Members of the band are required to perform duties typically carried out by most Marines aside from their musical performances. The 1st Marine Division Band functioned as a security platoon while deployed to Camp Fallujah, Iraq, with Regimental Combat Team 5 during a previous deployment.
The Division band has approximately 50 members who perform in smaller ensembles or groups and play concerts for various occasions and venues.
Ellie
Marine Corps News | Cpl. Chris T. Mann | March 19, 2008
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Maj. Gen. Thomas D. Waldhauser, commanding general, 1st Marine Division, presented members of the 1st Marine Division Band with the Col. George S. Howard award for musical excellence at the band hall at Camp Margarita March 17.
The Howard award is an international award given by the John Philip Sousa Foundation for musical achievement to members of the defense community, both active duty and reservist.
"We are very proud to receive this award," said Chief Warrant Officer Joshua A. Stone, band officer. "Our Marines worked countless hours practicing for the performance in Escondido and for the pieces that were recorded for the final submission."
This is the first time the award has been presented to the 1st Marine Division Band and 14 years since a band under the leadership of the Marine Corps has received this award.
"I am proud of you and what you do for the Marine Corps," said Waldhauser. "You can just tell by way you carry yourself and perform in concert that you all enjoy what you do."
Waldhauser made a special visit to not only present the band with the award on behalf of the Sousa foundation, but took time to visit each section and individual unit attached with the band.
Waldhauser met band members and sat down with the Marines in their working environments to evaluate and congratulate them on their recent performances.
Three pieces were submitted to Sousa committee members for the band during the annual competition. The submissions were live video recording of a concert held last spring at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, Calif.
The committee requires musical performances to be recorded during live band concerts and at least one musical piece to be a march written by Sousa.
Committee members made unanimous decisions after carefully reviewing submissions sent in from global defense units. A large number of video submissions were mailed in from foreign military bands, not just U.S. military units.
"I know you are members of the band, but I know you all deploy and have many Marine Corps responsibilities as well," said Waldhauser.
"When we put on the concert in Escondido, most of our band members had just returned from deploying to Fallujah, 39 days prior to the concert," said Stone.
Members of the band are required to perform duties typically carried out by most Marines aside from their musical performances. The 1st Marine Division Band functioned as a security platoon while deployed to Camp Fallujah, Iraq, with Regimental Combat Team 5 during a previous deployment.
The Division band has approximately 50 members who perform in smaller ensembles or groups and play concerts for various occasions and venues.
Ellie