Photo By Kristen Wong | The Marines of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band practice in the band hall,...... read more read more
Subscribe
MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - With a wave of his hand, Gunnery Sgt. Daniel Sullivan paints the band hall a darker shade of Christmas. The Marines are expelling all their air, pronouncing each note in a sonorous melody that makes the hair rise, and the heart pound. As quickly as it comes, the storm dissipates, the group discusses the piece briefly, and starts again.
At the time, they were fine-tuning a piece appropriately named “Minor Alterations,” eight days before kicking off the seventh annual Na Mele o Na Keiki concert at Hawaii Theatre, Nov. 29, 2014, at 6:30 p.m., and Nov. 30 at 1:30 p.m.
The concert also features guest performances by Henry Kapono, Ginai, Ryan Kamakakehau Fernandez, Ciana Pelekai, Lara Murdzia and all-female choir Honolulu Blend.
According to Staff Sgt. Jerry Williams, section commander for the MARFORPAC Band, planning for concerts can take as long as six months. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael J. Smith, the band officer, will come up with ideas for a production, and various band members will spend time arranging the music.
“In the end, there’s not a single person who’s not involved in our production,” said Williams, of Madera, Calif.
Williams said preparing for a concert also requires attention to even the smallest detail like turning a microphone on and off and setting up what equipment.
He said what is most rewarding for him during holiday concerts is seeing the Marines react to the community’s positive reception of their performance.
“It’s nice to see the look on everyone’s face (when) my Marines felt they did something positive,” Williams said.
But the holidays are not limited to one concert. On top of preparing for the annual concert, Williams said the Marines have regular obligations to perform at memorials, ceremonies and especially Marine Corps birthday balls.
“It’s a lot of work but it’s definitely worth it,” said Cpl. Antonio Planzo, a musician and jazz combo unit leader with the MARFORPAC Band.
Planzo, a native of St. Petersburg, Fla., will have been stationed at MCB Hawaii two years in December. He said this year Na Mele o Na Keiki continues to improve and bring in large groups of people.
“We usually have a really good production,” Planzo said. “The work we put out is good. It’s a lot of fun.”
One of the highlights of the holiday season, for Planzo, is the fact that the band gets “to represent ourselves and the Marine Corps for the holiday.”
“I haven’t really done anything on this scale,” said Lance Cpl. Donaven Witt, a MARFORPAC musician.
Witt, of Milwaukee, Wis., has only been stationed at MCB Hawaii for a month, and is glad to he was able to get “started right away” practicing with the band rather than the usual, initial mound of paperwork that comes with checking in to a new unit.
“I’m looking forward to the Christmas concert,” Donaven said. “I haven’t really done anything on this scale (before).”
This season, the band will also be performing at the base’s annual tree lighting ceremony in front of the Chaplain Joseph W. Estabrook Chapel, Dec. 2 at 5 p.m. and at Castle Medical Center’s tree lighting in Kailua, Dec. 3 at 6:15 p.m.
Free tickets are available at Hawaii Theatre’s box office Tuesday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are also available at Information, Tickets and Tours Office at MCB Hawaii. Call 254-7563.
| Date Taken: | 12.01.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 12.01.2014 20:01 |
| Story ID: | 149134 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US |
| Hometown: | MADERA, CA, US |
| Hometown: | ST. PETERSBURG, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 64 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, MARFORPAC Band fills holidays with music, by Kristen Wong, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT