thedrifter
11-17-07, 06:24 AM
MARINE CORPS BASE, CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii -- Many young Marines have never worked in the job field they are expected to master in the Corps. They join with little to no experience and from there are molded into experts their field.
For Marines like Cpl. Matthew Kurdt, a clarinet player with the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band, he had to master his craft before he earned the position he holds today.
At 19 years old, Kurdt has surpassed many of his peers, perhaps not those in the Marine Corps,
but his civilian counterparts.
“I think it is a great opportunity for him, especially straight out of high school,” said Christy Hopkins, Kurdt’s instrumental music director at Governor Thomas Johnson High School. “Not even college music majors get as much play time as he does performance-wise.”
While college students perfect their craft through educational development, members of Marine Corps bands hone their skills through education and practical application.
“Matt was a diligent, hard working and fantastic leader,” said Hopkins, Kurdt’s band director for three and a half years. “I sat down with him and his mom and we discussed joining the Marines. I believe it was a great decision for him.”
Since joining the MARFORPAC band two months ago, this Frederick, Md., native has been in approximately 15 performances.
“That’s actually pretty laid back,” Kurdt said. “Some of the other band members belong to several ensembles and have back-to-back performances.”
The band may not be on the battlefield everyday, but they do spend an immense amount of time perfecting their proficiency in their instrument.
Kurdt has been training on the clarinet since the sixth grade. Eight years have gone by and he now pursues his musical career and still serves his country.
“I get to learn from many talented musicians and get paid to play music,” Kurdt said.
For Kurdt, joining the Marines was a sure thing even though the band was not. Kurdt had a desire to serve and follow the example of his grandfather.
“I signed up open contract not knowing whether or not I would make it into the band,” he said. “Whether or not I made it I still wanted to join.”
Even so, Kurdt said he was pretty confident he was going to make it. The audition requires band member hopefuls to play a prepared solo, scales test and a musical piece they have never seen before. Kurdt passed his audition and was sent to boot camp in September 2006.
Upon graduation he went to the Armed Forces School of Music in Fredericksburg, Va., for a six-month-long course in musical theory and private instruction.
“You know there is always room for improvement in music, but Cpl. Kurdt came out of the school highly trained,” said Sgt. Anson Rynard, clarinet player and section leader, MARFORPAC Band. “He has a lot of natural talent.”
Kurdt will need that talent to perform in the immense number of ceremonies the band supports. Band members act as ambassadors to the general public, which requires them to be highly professional and proficient, according to Rynard.
Marines like Kurdt are what the band needs to complete that mission, Rynard added.
“I expect good things from him,” he said.
Kurdt has had good leadership in his life, even before the Corps.
“My grandfather was a master gunnery sergeant. At the time he was promoted, he was the youngest person to be promoted to master guns,” Kurdt said.
Kurdt said he did not know much about his grandfather’s service because he didn’t talk about it, but he did have all the qualities of a Marine.
“You could tell he was a Marine even though he didn’t advertise it. He never went around bragging about being a Marine, but you could just tell,” he added. “He was my motivation to join the Corps.”
Kurdt has just begun his career in the Marine Corps, and while he is not sure how long he will stay in the Corps, he does plan to gain as much experience as possible.
“I want to get involved in some of the party bands as soon as there is an opening,” Kurdt said. “A year in is not enough to time to make an educated decision about the Corps, but music is definitely in my future.”
For Marines like Cpl. Matthew Kurdt, a clarinet player with the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band, he had to master his craft before he earned the position he holds today.
At 19 years old, Kurdt has surpassed many of his peers, perhaps not those in the Marine Corps,
but his civilian counterparts.
“I think it is a great opportunity for him, especially straight out of high school,” said Christy Hopkins, Kurdt’s instrumental music director at Governor Thomas Johnson High School. “Not even college music majors get as much play time as he does performance-wise.”
While college students perfect their craft through educational development, members of Marine Corps bands hone their skills through education and practical application.
“Matt was a diligent, hard working and fantastic leader,” said Hopkins, Kurdt’s band director for three and a half years. “I sat down with him and his mom and we discussed joining the Marines. I believe it was a great decision for him.”
Since joining the MARFORPAC band two months ago, this Frederick, Md., native has been in approximately 15 performances.
“That’s actually pretty laid back,” Kurdt said. “Some of the other band members belong to several ensembles and have back-to-back performances.”
The band may not be on the battlefield everyday, but they do spend an immense amount of time perfecting their proficiency in their instrument.
Kurdt has been training on the clarinet since the sixth grade. Eight years have gone by and he now pursues his musical career and still serves his country.
“I get to learn from many talented musicians and get paid to play music,” Kurdt said.
For Kurdt, joining the Marines was a sure thing even though the band was not. Kurdt had a desire to serve and follow the example of his grandfather.
“I signed up open contract not knowing whether or not I would make it into the band,” he said. “Whether or not I made it I still wanted to join.”
Even so, Kurdt said he was pretty confident he was going to make it. The audition requires band member hopefuls to play a prepared solo, scales test and a musical piece they have never seen before. Kurdt passed his audition and was sent to boot camp in September 2006.
Upon graduation he went to the Armed Forces School of Music in Fredericksburg, Va., for a six-month-long course in musical theory and private instruction.
“You know there is always room for improvement in music, but Cpl. Kurdt came out of the school highly trained,” said Sgt. Anson Rynard, clarinet player and section leader, MARFORPAC Band. “He has a lot of natural talent.”
Kurdt will need that talent to perform in the immense number of ceremonies the band supports. Band members act as ambassadors to the general public, which requires them to be highly professional and proficient, according to Rynard.
Marines like Kurdt are what the band needs to complete that mission, Rynard added.
“I expect good things from him,” he said.
Kurdt has had good leadership in his life, even before the Corps.
“My grandfather was a master gunnery sergeant. At the time he was promoted, he was the youngest person to be promoted to master guns,” Kurdt said.
Kurdt said he did not know much about his grandfather’s service because he didn’t talk about it, but he did have all the qualities of a Marine.
“You could tell he was a Marine even though he didn’t advertise it. He never went around bragging about being a Marine, but you could just tell,” he added. “He was my motivation to join the Corps.”
Kurdt has just begun his career in the Marine Corps, and while he is not sure how long he will stay in the Corps, he does plan to gain as much experience as possible.
“I want to get involved in some of the party bands as soon as there is an opening,” Kurdt said. “A year in is not enough to time to make an educated decision about the Corps, but music is definitely in my future.”