Jeffrey Price - Army Strong Stories

Arctic Bandmaster: Pride through Music

Jeffrey Price — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:46:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
Being a military musician boils down to 2 things: passion and service. We love music, we love our country, and we want to give all that we have to encourage the military and the community with the skills we have. We are Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Sailors and Coast Guardsman serving and representing each one of you with music. Military Music is important. Military musicians are currently stationed around the world in harms way… away from their families serving where we...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Inspiring and Motivating Our Nation's Youth

Jeffrey Price — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:46:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
Your 9th Army band is busy performing over 50 musical missions this month. We are playing for Soldiers and families all around Army Alaska. This month we are taking time to enter our schools to participate in Music in our Schools Month, as well as a few other activities that have us in front our Nation's future leaders. You may ask why we do this? It's simple, we are Soldiers serving and representing Soldiers. We serve our country with music. We hope by our...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Musical Excellence

Jeffrey Price — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 23:46:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
I have been extremely fortunate to have outstanding mentors throughout my life, but sometimes you forget or place aside thoughts of how important an individual may be to you. COL Finley Hamilton was a man that has impacted my life in many ways. He had a direct impact on hiring me and pushed me to become a Warrant Officer. He was even in the audience when I graduated the Army Bandmaster Course. COL Hamilton hated early mornings but loved the Army and making music. I loved finding...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: The Arctic Experience

Jeffrey Price — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:46:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
Each Army unit usually carries with it a motto or song that describes what it does, what it is proud of, and what makes it unique. This is especially true where I work in Alaska. We are "Arctic Warriors". Many years ago my colleague Chief Warrant Officer 5 Aaron Graff penned this simple march, Keepers of the Northern Watch. It's words ring with each of us everyday and the song is song by all of your Arctic Warriors at the conclusion of all of our...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Inspiration

Jeffrey Price — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 23:59:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
A couple of weeks ago, I had a nice article written on my team in Alaska. The best pull out quote was when I said , “You know something’s important to the Army when an Army Band is there.” It is about service and building team. This can be tough work if you aren't prepared... You ever heard of a "Diva". This can be a very bad stereotype for a musician or a person( I remember the recent Snickers commercial with Aretha Franklin and Liza Minnelli) I figure...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Alaska Day

Jeffrey Price — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 22:46:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
I wish each of you could have been on the delightful Baranof Island in the city of Sitka, Alaska last week for the Alaska Day celebration. This week long event commemorated the peaceful transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States in Sitka on Oct 18, 1867 and was themed as “Celebrating Sacred Ground.” It is an important event for the country and Army Alaska, so your 9th Army Band was in attendance ready to serve. During our brief 3 days in Sitka, we led the parade...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: 9th Army Band-In the News

Jeffrey Price — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:46:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
It's always nice when you end up positively in the news. Below is a very solid article on your 9th Army "Arctic Warrior" Band and Army Bands done by Reba Lean of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. It includes a quick view of what we do as Army Musicians and includes a multimedia link to a video of the article from youtube. It is great to be part of a community that understands Soldiers and values what we do each day. Thank you, Ms. Lean. This is a shot by...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Equipment

Jeffrey Price — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 22:46:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
Most musicians have dabbled with a wide variety of equipment to try to “perfect” our performance. Arguments and preferences for equipment switch routinely as we settle in on what we like. I am amazed to look back on my college days and reflect on how much money I wasted on all those mouthpieces, ligatures, and reeds. Most of us major on minor issues. In the end, we usually go in circles back to where we began. Fortunately, we all get older and wiser. I can...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: The S.A.I.D Principle

Jeffrey Price — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 22:46:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
Have you ever heard the old axiom, “If you want to get better at something, you just have to do it." I was thinking about that this weekend as I recovered from the 9th Army Band's semi-annual 20-K Ruck March up here at Ft. Wainwright, AK. In order to ensure success, my Soldiers had to train-up and do multiple short ruck marches to get ready for the main event. Just marching, or running, or walking or lifting weights wouldn't equal optimum success. Muscles are...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Versatility

Jeffrey Price — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 22:46:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
I had a chance to discuss Army bands in an interview for our local Alaskan newspaper. As I talked to the interviewer and showed her around our building, I stumbled upon 6 of my musicians that had just returned from the Rifle Range. They were eating lunch and cleaning their assigned weapons. As I introduced them, I mentioned what their primary instrument was … I naturally found myself introducing the 2nd and 3rd instruments they played. Everyone in the room had a double. As I...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Choreography

Jeffrey Price — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:46:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
“All the world is a stage.” Through the past few weeks I have compared some of the similarities with Army and musical training. One thing that struck me this week was the staging of a performance and the staging of battle…the choreography. I came to this after reading the excerpt from the War by Sebastian Junger describing the actions of former Specialist Salvatore Giunta posted in the Stars and Stripes...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Terminology

Jeffrey Price — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:47:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
Music has been called the Universal Language. Every culture has music and I have seen it bridge peoples and foster communication more quickly then words. Memories are evoked. Images are conjured up. Emotions are stirred. It is like the music gives a listener a healthy way to engage and share with those in the audience. Music can be a tangible way to connect where social norms might prohibit the connection. You might wonder how a trained musician survives in the Army. You might...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Army Alaska Pictures

Jeffrey Price — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:47:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
http://www.flickr.com/photos/usarak/page3/ I just wanted to post something quick to redirect you to Army Alaska's flickr page. The 9th Army Band just got back from a trip to Anchorage where we performed on Fort Richardson and in Palmer, AK for the State Fair. Mary Ralls, our Community Relations expert took some nice pictures of our performances. This link isn't limited to the 9th Army Band. It is an excellent link to explore some of the fantastic...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Team

Jeffrey Price — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 22:47:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
All musicians have to be team players to succeed. You have to listen and mold your talent to those around you. “Hot dogging” or selfishness is not a trait that will get you hired for a gig or keep you employed for long. You can tell a real professional as you listen to how they match articulation, phrasing, dynamics as they become one with their mates. Their isn’t very much more satisfying than doing a job where everyone is synced up. The blend is perfect, the pitch is...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Experience

Jeffrey Price — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 22:47:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
This past week my former colleague and First Sergeant Steve Mohacey retired from the Army and renewed his career as a music educator in San Antonio. He has meant a lot to me in my development as a Soldier and Musician but even more as a person. He grew up in San Antonio and graduated from UT-Austin, and started his musical career doing gigs in San Antonio and Austin, TX. He then spent time playing for Disneyland in CA, SeaWorld in San Antonio, and teaching school in the Austin area....read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Planning for success

Jeffrey Price — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 22:47:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
As the school year starts, many of my friends and former classmates are preparing for battle…in the classroom. My music teacher/band director friends have some very similar experiences to me this time of year. They are looking to what’s ahead and planning to achieve objective goals that they want to meet to benefit their students, schools, and communities. I really enjoy reading of their trials and success on facebook. They get me motivated to serve more. That sounds like...read more

Arctic Bandmaster: Beginnings

Jeffrey Price — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:47:00 GMT

By: Jeffrey Price
Hello everyone, I am Chief Warrant Officer Jeff Price. I currently serve you as the Commander of your 9th Army "Arctic Warrior" Band in Ft. Wainwright, AK. We are the "coolest" band on the planet in one of the truly special locations in the world, Alaska. We are a truly musically excellent organization and have the same unique Arctic Light Infantry skill set of all Army Alaska Soldiers. We stand ready to serve in any manner we are called. As I start a...read more