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The U.S. Army Field Band had several terrific concerts in Michigan. The Upper Peninsula has some of the most incredible scenery in the country. Iron Mountain is a town of about 5,000 who put 2,400 into the high school gym for our concert. All of these photos are taken by SFC(P) Rob McIver. Here he shows the wonders of PhotoShop. Our harpist, SFC Melissa Dunne, is pictured here. No one can really figure out why she has a bassoon or where she got that...read more
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Fairmont was the site of The U.S. Army Field Band's first stop in Minnesota. Here, the French Horn section performs. One of our newer Soldiers, SSG Christi LaBarca and her section mates are top notch. Audiences come in all ages. This young lady is entranced by the concert, SFC(P) Rob McIver shot this photo of SSG Kosumi Leonard backstage. Fans of "A Prairie Home Companion" have heard of the famous Fitzgerald Theater in St....read more
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The first stop by The U.S. Army Field Band, Musical Ambassadors of the Army, in the Cornhusker State of Nebraska was in Omaha at the world famous Boy's Town. This is an incredbile organization that helps young people and their families and have had a great record of success since their founding in 1917. About one-half of their student body are in JROTC and about one-third of their graduates enlist in the Armed Services. We were so impressed with these young people, many...read more
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The U.S. Army Field Band, Musical Ambassadors of the Army, continue performances throughout the heartland of America traveling through Illinois and Iowa. Watseka, IL is a town of 5,500 and 2,400 of them were packed into a high school gym for a great concert. Audience members of all ages enjoyed the show. MSG Robert Jefferson and MSG(P) Janet Hjelmgren enchanted the crowd with selections from "Porgy and Bess." SSG Mark Huseth closed the show with...read more
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The Musical Ambassadors of the Army continue their tour through America's heartland. Here, CPT Leonel Pena briefs a local color guard of veterans in St. Mary's, OH. Finding a place to practice is always a high priority and privacy is at a premium. SSG Kevin Walko finds some time alone to work on some technical passages. Like lots of Army operations, there is some "hurry up and wait." The percussion section is "training" for the...read more
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The tour by the Concert Band and Soldiers' Chorus of the Musical Ambassadors of the Army continued in Indiana. Anderson, Indiana was the site of a program preceded by a pre-concert chat where selected Soldiers tell their Army Story and take questions from the audience. Concentration is needed to perform any military task properly. Here, percussionists SGM Tom Enokian (concealed on left), MSG Bill Elliott, and SFC Phil Kiamie focus on the job at hand....read more
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The Concert Band and the Soldiers' Chorus from The U.S. Army Field Band are on the road again. One of our other groups, America's Big Band - The Jazz Ambassadors, hit the road ahead of us and are currently in the upper Midwest. The Band & Chorus convoy rolled out of our home at Fort Meade, Maryland for a first stop in Somerset, PA. Here, SSG Brendan Curran takes aim while SGM Joan Mercer watches as they present a medley of songs from "Annie Get Your...read more
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I recently returned from a weekend working with over 160 high school students from the northeast portion of Pennsylvania. This was an honors band selected from 56 high schools spread over nine counties. What a treat to be with these great young Americans! An honors band event like this involves months of coordination to select and distribute the music but once the students arrive, the real work begins; very intense rehearsals going from 0830 to 2200 with...read more
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Last week, the Soldiers of The U.S. Army Field Band had an amazing experience; recording selections with the Marcus Roberts Trio. Marcus is one of the leading jazz pianists in the world, as well as being an award-winning composer and a distinguished educator. This is a photo of Marcus at the keyboard. Although he is blind, after a few minutes with him you completely forget that and know that this is absolutely someone who you would never, ever call...read more
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There have been some great posts about the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. This is a football game that is held to provide something for people to watch while they wait for the main event -- the half time show by the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. Over the course of a year, the top 97 high school marching musicians in the country are selected as well as an elite two dozen color guard members. They must not only prove their are great musicians and great marchers, they...read more
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Profile
Thomas Palmatier
| Affiliation: | Active Duty |
|---|---|
| Rank: | Colonel |
| Branch: | Army Band |
| MOS/AOC: | 42C5P2B Army Band Officer |
| Location: | The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" |
| Hometown: | Ballston Spa |
About Me:
I have probably the best job in the Army. I get to command The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own," the Army's premier musical unit responsible for performing at national and international events in the Washington, D.C. area and around the world. Our Soldiers's most sacred duty is performing final honors at funerals in Arlington National Cemetery. They also regularly perform at The White House. I started my Army career as a Private in 1977 and after getting promoted a few times became a warrant officer. This means I'm on my 14th (and last) rank which might be close to a record. My daughter is a ballet soloist and instructor in Los Angeles and the mother of the cutest grand-daughter in the world, Harlee. The best thing about my job is getting to work with the finest musicians in the world who are all proud to be Soldiers representing Soldiers.
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