Photo By Terrance Bell | Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kevin Pick, 392nd Army Band commander, presents Cpl. Jessica...... read more read more
FORT LEE, Va. (Feb. 2, 2017) -- A Soldier with the 392nd Army Band is among the recipients of the 2016 Colonel Finley R. Hamilton Military Outstanding Musician Award.
Cpl. Jessica Williams, band operations NCO and bugler NCO in charge, was presented the award in a ceremony here Monday.
Less than 50 musicians across the Department of Defense were selected for the award this year. Winners must demonstrate excellence in both solo and ensemble performances, display exceptional leadership qualities, and show great potential for future outstanding performance.
“I found out I was nominated for the Hamilton Award the morning I received it, so it was quite a pleasant surprise,” Williams said. “It feels so great to be nominated for such a prestigious award and be recognized for my efforts as a musician in the Army.”
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kevin Pick, the band commander, said he is proud of one of his musicians earning the honor.
“I am very happy that Cpl. Williams was recognized for her outstanding musicianship,” he said. “She is a talented musician who is well deserving of this award. She continues to be an asset to the band, the brass quintet, and the operations section.”
Williams has served in the Army for more than three years and has been at Fort Lee since 2014. Since then, she has been involved with several aspects of the band.
“I have performed with numerous ensembles including the marching band, concert band, brass quintets, brass band and jazz combo,” she said. “I also have sung with our vocal group, 550 Chord, which is a traditional barbershop quartet.
“My main instrument is trumpet but I do love to sing when I get the chance,” Williams continued. “I started playing trumpet as a 4th grader and have been performing for almost 20 years.”
While in school, Williams said she saw a lot of military bands and thought it would be a rewarding career.
“After I graduated with my master’s degree in trumpet performance, I couldn’t stop thinking about taking that step and joining the Army,” she said. “I didn’t want to stop using my musical ability to make people happy, so this job is perfect.”
Part of what makes Williams stand out is her continued effort at becoming better at her job.
“Most times I play at ceremonies for retirements and graduations, but no matter how many times I play the same ceremony, it has to be excellent,” she said. “It may be the first and last time an individual in that ceremony hears an Army Band group, and the people receiving honors for their service deserve our respect and attention to detail.
“Sometimes, I’m at cemeteries standing behind an honor guard performing ‘Taps’ for a service member,” Williams recalled. “Moments like that are so important to families, and I take a lot of pride in providing them with excellence because their service member earned that. Performing my duties as an Army musician definitely requires continually striving for excellence. It is truly humbling to be recognized for my efforts toward that goal.”
| Date Taken: | 02.02.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 02.02.2017 10:22 |
| Story ID: | 222275 |
| Location: | NEWPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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