Photo By Tech. Sgt. Robert Barnett | Blue Yonders staff dance with members of the audience at Pete's Place at Transit...... read more read more
MANAS, Kyrgyzstan - Playing a mixture of bluegrass, americana, Irish music and more at Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, and the surrounding community, the Blue Yonders entertained service members and Kyrgyz here last week. The U.S. Air Forces Central Band's mission is to positively promote troop morale, diplomacy and outreach to host nation communities.
Master Sgt. Sherry Burt, who plays the Irish flute and sings, partnered with Staff Sgt. Paul Wells, musical director and guitarist to develop the concept of this Celtic band. Burt has an Irish background in folk music, and Wells in bluegrass. The band started with them and grew into the Blue Yonders.
"These musicians have decided to go a little outside of the box and do something interesting, we hope, for the people that we play for," said Burt, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Blue Yonders. "It's a little bit different than your standard rock band. We've learned some folk instruments, we do some bluegrass, americana, Irish music, and we do a lot of tunes off the radio in our very own style. The concept for the group was to be different, interesting, a little softer and mellower for the folks that are out here in the deployed environment."
The variety of "tools of the trade" helps them stand out from other bands.
"Our band is unique because we play a lot of acoustic instruments," said Staff Sgt. Paul Wells, who also plays the mandolin and sings. "There's a lot of instrument training. Everybody sings, which enables us to do a lot of harmonies. It makes for exciting music; we'll take pop songs and do them our own way. People really respond well to it; they like it."
The band toured schools and an orphanage during their visit.
"It's really great to play for these kids because kids and adults alike everywhere love to respond to music, and these kids really don't have anything," said Wells, deployed out of Travis Air Force Base, Calif., and a native of Tampa, Fla.
The band members wanted the show to be interactive and often involved the children by showing them easy dance steps to go along with their style of music, as well as letting them play instruments and even sing on stage.
One student who had sung in stadiums and at special events, including presidential occassions, was overjoyed to sing with the band.
"I'm speechless, it was just so awesome, I really liked it," said Altynai Zhusupova, 10th grade student at Secondary School 26, the first school the band performed at in Bishkek. "I was really glad that they felt my song and they began to help me with the music; it's obvious they are professionals. That was my first time playing with an American band."
It was also the first time any Americans had set foot inside the school, which was founded in 1965.
"I was really excited about the band performance," said Elena Selezneva, principle of Gymnasium 26. "I think these kinds of performances are very helpful because every cultural event is deepening the knowledge of international cultures. I will be glad if the American events can come in the future."
The band made additional school performances and played at an orphanage.
"We speak the international language of music," Burt said. "There's instant love, and that's one of the coolest things that music can do. When we go off to schools, our mission is also to strengthen friendships. When we start with the younger members of the population, that's going to be something they're probably going to remember for a long time. When they get older and become the leaders of the country, hopefully they will remember the friendship that we helped to strengthen with them when they were children."
Bands are often seen as a force multiplier, she said.
"We can go places where other things can't necessarily go," said the NCOIC deployed out of Travis Air Force Base, Calif., and a native of Chattanooga, Tenn. "When we were in Afghanistan, we were playing for Soldiers, Airmen and Marines who had hard days and looked tired. They listened to us play; it was relaxed and mellow, and they could shed their feeling of having to be ramped up for the mission. We gave them a chance to reconnect with their humanity, to reflect on home, and that's what we're here to do."
Burt said her team is a product of diversity in the Air Force.
"What makes the Air Force so strong is that there are people of all different backgrounds and all different ideologies that come together and we're open to ideas," she said. "This group would not have happened if our administration had not been open to ideas. I think that's a really special thing. I'm really proud to be associated with people like this in the Air Force."
| Date Taken: | 10.06.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 10.11.2013 00:09 |
| Story ID: | 115056 |
| Location: | TRANSIT CENTER AT MANAS, KG |
| Web Views: | 47 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Blue Yonders connects with troops, children through music, by TSgt Robert Barnett, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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