WEBVTT

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- Hi, my name is Musician
2nd Class Rachel Vennel.

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I am fom Ledyard, Connecticut originally,

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and I am stationed at Navy Band Northeast

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in Newport, Rhode Island.

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(chuckling)

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(funk music)

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♪ Woo ♪

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So I went to University of
Hartford for my undergrad

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and got a degree in Music Education.

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Then I did my master's at
Westminster Choir College

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of Rider University and I did that

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in voice pedagogy and performance.

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And actually, while I was in the Navy,

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I did Berklee Online
and did a certificate,

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a grad certificate, in vocal styles,

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which kind of encompassed
some of the things

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that I do in the Navy.

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Rock 'n roll, R&B, pop,
and that kinda stuff, so.

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I joined the Navy in August, 2015.

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When I told my family I
was gonna join the Navy,

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they were really excited.

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My mom is a singer as well
so she was really excited

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for me to be able to start doing something

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I'm really passionate about.

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♪ Another notch in my lipstick case ♪

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♪ You better make sure
you put me in my place ♪

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I've gotten to do a lot
of really cool things

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being in the Navy.

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San Francisco has probably
been one of the top on my list.

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And of course here at New York Fleet Week

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has been probably the highlight so far

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of what I've gotten to do.

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For me, to be able to perform,

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but also to perform for my
country, it means a lot.

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To be able to represent the military

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and kind of give back to
people who served before me

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is a really, really special opportunity.

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So being here in New
England, I'm back home,

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but I get to come in and
do a job that I love,

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get to sing for a living,

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and work with some really
awesome people, so yeah.