A video paints a thousand pictures Fanfare changes tack Spotlight on MUC William Edwards III llow me to be the first to welcome you to our new Fanfare! From now on, Fanfare will arrive in your mailbox twice a Ayear. We’ll be sending information about upcoming per- formances and where we will be, separately. This will allow us to provide more in-depth stories and a new feature on the work done by our bands out in the fleet. Whether through music, imagery, video or articles, we’re always looking for new ways to reach more people, and to connect Americans with their Navy. We had a busy summer! June 5 was the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, one of the greatest naval battles the world has ever witnessed and a critical turning point in the Pacific during World War II. Navy bands supported commemoration events around the world. We even sent musicians to Midway Atoll, where a bugler and vocalist from the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band participated in a globally-broadcast ceremony. Inspired by the “Greatest Generation,” our Sailors and civilians carry on that legacy of adaptation and resilience. Believe it or not, we’re already nearing the end of 2017. It’s been a great year, and we anticipate an even greater 2018. Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you at one of our concerts. Kenneth C. Collins, Captain, USN Commanding Officer IN THIS ISSUE: anfare 2 I CAPTAIN’S MESSAGE fVol. 38 No. 5 3 I A VIDEO PAINTS A Fanfare is the official publication of the United States Navy Band. Contents of Fanfare are not necessarily the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, or the THOUSAND WORDS U.S. Navy. Editorial content of this publication is the responsibility of the U.S. Navy Band public affairs Bringing Navy Music office. to the world of video Send letters to the editor to: U.S. Navy Band, Fanfare Magazine, 617 Warrington Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20374, call 202-433-4777 or email [email protected]. 6 I FANFARE CHANGES TACK The New Fanfare COMMANDING OFFICER EDITOR Capt. Kenneth C. Collins Musician 1st Class Sarah F. Blecker 8 I SAXOPHONE SYMPOSIUM PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chief Musician Adam K. Grimm Senior Chief Musician Stephen W. Hassay TURNS 40 EXECUTIVE EDITOR LAYOUT AND DESIGN Senior Chief Musician Melissa D. Bishop Musician 1st Class Adrienne W. Moore 10 I SPOTLIGHT Chief Musician William Edwards III Front Cover: GEORGETOWN, Texas (Aug. 9, 2017) Musician 1st Class David Smith meets with audience members following a performance with the U.S. Navy Band Cruisers popular 12 I NAVY FLEET BANDS IN ACTION music group at the Cowan Creek Amphitheater in Georgetown, Texas. The U.S. Navy Band performed in four states during its 14-city national tour, connecting the Navy to communities that don’t see Sailors at work on a regular basis. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief 15 I AUDIENCE FEEDBACK Musician Adam Grimm/Released) 2 A VIDEO PAINTS A THOUSAND PICTURES BRINGING NAVY MUSIC TO THE WORLD OF VIDEO by Chief Musician Adam Grimm Master Chief Musician Mike Schmitz, the project t’s mostly dark, the only light coming from the glow of head, says that video gives listeners a personal several widescreen monitors. A podcast is playing over connection to the music that they hear, as well as being some speakers. The narration mentions something I able to tell a story with music and visual imagery. about the Cuban Missile Crisis. A lone figure sits in front of the monitors, his hands quickly and deftly moving over THE BIG CONCERTS multiple control surfaces while his eyes dart back and When September rolls around, Brown turns his forth between a video window and color graphs. attention to the Navy birthday concert and Navy Band Musician 1st Class Eric Brown became the Navy holiday concerts. According to Chief Musician Amanda Band’s first full-time video producer in 2015. Since Cline, the Navy Band’s production chief, combining that time, he’s created an online video library that has video with live music “allows us to tell the Navy story in collected more than 50 million views across YouTube greater detail.” and Facebook, showcasing the Navy Band’s musical In addition to producing all of the multimedia content performances to audiences worldwide. for both shows, Brown will plan and execute the live “Video is such an exciting place to be these days broadcasts. He says that the challenge is that every in part due to the economics,” says Brown. “We’ve note, every second must be accounted for. There is only reached a nexus point in that the cameras have never one chance to get it right. looked better and been cheaper and the computers and “There have been occasions I’ve gone home after one software have never been faster and more efficient.” of our livestreams,” said Brown, “and not been able to He is working on a special video project, a series of get to sleep for several hours due to the adrenaline.” videos highlighting different sides of the Navy, such In addition to streaming the birthday and holiday as people, international partnerships, humanitarian concerts, the Navy Band live streams Clarinet Day and aid, hardware, and history and heritage. It amounts the International Saxophone Symposium. to producing and directing nine music videos in six Of course, Brown can’t accomplish all of this alone. months’ time. Like anything else in the Navy, it takes a team of dedicated Sailors to make for a successful mission. First, Brown relies on a small team of videographers, who shoot all of the footage. Each one is a musician who works in video as an extra duty. Brown also works closely with Chief Musician Brian Bowman, the band’s STORY CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 WASHINGTON (Sept. 6, 2017) Musician 1st Class Eric Brown in his studio editing video for the concert celebrating the Navy’s 242nd anniversary. (U.S. Navy Photo by Senior Chief Musician Stephen Hassay/Released) 3 WASHINGTON (July 19, 2017) Chief Musician Amanda Cline, right, discusses the upcoming video shoot with three of the surviving members of the B-1 Band, from left to right, Simeon Holloway, Jewitt White and Calvin Morrow, the first African Americans to serve in the modern Navy at a rank other than messman. They discussed their contributions to the Navy and Navy music and the difficulties they faced during their naval service as the first African American Navy bandsmen in the newly-integrated Navy for a video documentary produced by the U.S. Navy Band. (U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Musician Stephen Hassay/released) recording engineer, who makes sure the audio meets CONNECTING WITH THE PAST the high standards of the Navy Band. When Brown It’s Friday, Aug. 4, 2017, and Brown, along with Cline, finishes the product, Musician 1st Class Travis Siehndel Senior Chief Musician Steve Hassay (the Navy Band’s and his social media team make sure that the video visual information chief) and Musician 1st Class Maia reaches as many people as possible. Rodriguez (a member of the Sea Chanters and part of Brown’s video team), are meeting with the last surviving IN THE BEGINNING members of the Navy B-1 Band, who are holding their Brown didn’t join the Navy Band to create videos. 75th reunion in Washington (see July/August Volume Growing up in La Porte, Texas, he started playing the 38 Number 4 of fanfare for more about the B-1 Band). trumpet in sixth grade, which he chose because “it was Cline learned of their visit, and instantly knew that the best instrument.” He graduated with a Bachelor of their story would be perfect to tell at the Navy Birthday Music from Northwestern University in 2006, and was Concert in October. pursuing a master’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of “The story of our B-1 heroes must be preserved and Music when he auditioned for the Navy Band in 2007. told so that we never forget how far we have come as a He reported to the band in 2008 as a member of the Navy and as a nation.” Concert and Ceremonial Bands. Brown worked with Cline and Hassay to figure out He started his journey in video with a handheld video where to shoot the video, which was particularly camera, recording recitals while in graduate school. challenging due to an ongoing renovation in the Navy Though technically challenging, Brown discovered that Band building, while Rodriguez and Cline settled on he enjoyed the post-production process. In 2012, he some questions for the interview. Once the footage was started working as a video production specialist for the shot, Brown and Rodriguez went to the studio to edit band, in addition to his duties playing trumpet. After the video. three years, he became the Navy Band’s first full-time Talking about the editing process, Rodriguez said, video producer. “Editing videos is kind of like climbing a mountain. “I think music and filmmaking are the two greatest You’re never sure if you’ll reach summit. You just have to team sports in the world, and luckily I’ve gotten to trust that you told the story the best way you knew how.” experience both at a very high level.” The video will premiere at the Navy Birthday Concert 4 Oct. 5, 2017, at The Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland.