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    MarForPac Band performs in the Far East; Chinese officials extend a first-time invitation to U.S. Marine Corps band

    MARFORPAC Band performs in the Far East

    Photo By Sgt. Tyler Main | The U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band, plays for an arena of Chinese spectators...... read more read more

    Packing their instruments and crossing continents into China, the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band recently made history as the Marine Corps’ first band to perform in the country on a formal invitation by the Chinese government.

    “Our initial reaction to the invite was absolute astonishment,” Chief Warrant Officer 2 Bryan P. Sherlock, officer in charge, MarForPac Band, said. “It was a great honor, and I was very anxious to make the trip happen.”

    The band arrived in Shanghai on April 27 to prepare for their performance in the 2011 Shanghai Spring Music Festival later in the week. They performed a field show, where they marched in different configurations while under review, titled “The Planets,” in front of a crowd of 2,000 people, along with other ensembles from around southeast Asia. Afterward the marching band participated in a parade playing “The Marine’s Hymn” and other military marches.

    The band marched down Song Hu Road in downtown Shanghai where the street was lined with people cheering them on.

    “It was surreal knowing we’re an American band, marching down the streets of Shanghai,” Sgt. Luis M. Trejo, trombone player, MarForPac Band, said. “It wasn’t like a traditional American parade. It was different because of the setup. For the first time I really felt like I was in China.”

    While in Shanghai, the band also played at local schools, performed concerts in various communities and taught basic music concepts to music students at Fudan University. The Chinese government provided a translator to accompany the band to local attractions in their free time.

    On May 3, the band departed Shanghai and arrived in Beijing for another round of performances. They spent their first few days in the capital city touring the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China and Tiananmen Square.

    “There’s so much history in China,” Cpl. Daniel M. Chunn, percussionist, MarForPac band, said. “I got to take a first hand look at The Great Wall of China—one of the Seven Wonders of the World—I knew it was something I’d remember for the rest of my life.”

    During their final days in China, the MarForPac band visited a middle school band that had performed with them at the Shanghai Spring Music Festival earlier that week. Students received musical instruction from some of the band members and learned to communicate through music, despite a language barrier. The school children performed an outdoor concert for the Marines at the end of the visit.

    “The trip, overall, was a cultural and educational eye-opener,” Cpl. Andrew N. Whitmire, trumpet player, MarForPac band, said. “We were able to share our passion for music with the students while at the same time be inspired by their love and eagerness to learn. Their respect and admiration for what we do everyday is the most humbling and heart warming experience I’ve ever had.”

    Their last performance was at the People’s Liberation Army Band Concert Hall on May 6. The event was by invitation only, and the crowd consisted of distinguished guests, including China’s PLA Band director.

    “The trip overall was amazing,” said Sgt. Chad Ranton, percussionist, MarForPac Band. “I feel really lucky that the Marine Corps has given me the chance to perform in such an amazing place, like China.”

    According to Sherlock, the band has been invited back to China next year and is looking forward to their upcoming trips to Tonga, Cambodia and Thailand.

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 05.01.2011
    Date Posted: 05.19.2011 23:51
    Story ID: 70727
    Location: 11, CN

    Web Views: 152
    Downloads: 2

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