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Sounds
from the Hudson Volume 10, Issue 2 LTC David Deitrick. - Commander
Band Welcomes New Commander
West
Point Bicentennial Wrapup
Academy
Band Change of Command: On Sunday, June 16th, the United States Military Academy Band will present a program commemorating the Army’s birthday and band’s change of command ceremony. Lt. Col. David Deitrick, band commander since 1994, will formally pass the reins of leadership to incoming commander, Lt. Col. Thomas Rotondi. A change of command ceremony holds a special place in the hearts and minds of soldiers. It affords the outgoing officer an opportunity to express appreciation, review milestones reached during his tenure, and leave behind parting thoughts. The incoming officer will address the troops and assure them that all is well, and that the unit is in good hands. Lieutenant General William J. Lennox, Superintendent of the United States Military Academy, will participate in the ceremony. The band is pleased to present its change of command to its devoted listeners at the first Trophy Point concert. Come join us for this special event. In addition to Lt. Col. Deitrick’s departure, the USMA Band is also losing from its ranks four dedicated individuals. Band Sergeant Major and concert band trumpeter John Sartoris, concert band brass and percussion group leader, Sgt. Maj. David Smith, concert band woodwind group leader, Sgt. Maj. Joel Evans, and Master Sgt. John Cole, band librarian. Together, these talented soldiers and our departing commander represent nearly 140 years of Army service. Glenn Miller / Music of WWII July 21st The USMA Jazz Knights, under the leadership of Chief Warrant Officer Otha Hester will present a tribute to a great American musician, Glenn Miller. The legendary Glenn Miller was one of the most successful of all the dance bandleaders back in the swing era of the 1930s and '40s. Miller disbanded his musical organization in 1942, at the height of its popularity, volunteered for the Army and then organized and led the famous Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band. It went to Europe to entertain servicemen, and on December 15, 1944, Major Miller took off in a single-engine plane from England to precede his band to France, never to be seen again. Tragically, Miller was lost in a plane crash, but by that time his band had already contributed immeasurably to troop morale. By the war’s end, it was estimated that his music was performed for over 600,000 Allied troops. Come hear the Knights re-create the sounds of Glenn Miller this July 21st at Trophy Point Amphitheatre. 1812 concert Saturday August 31st The new USMA Band commander, Lt. Col. Thomas Rotondi and all three performing band elements will again present the 1812 Overture summer closer. Back by popular demand, this yearly event traditionally marks the end of the summer concert season. Festivities begin promptly at 6 p.m. with the Retreat ceremony, conducted by the band’s field music group, the Hellcats. The Jazz Knights will then take center stage at the amphitheater, warming up the crowd for the evening’s long-awaited finale: Peter Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Come early. Bring a lawn chair, a blanket and refreshments. The rain date is Sunday, September 1st. Currently, there is a 100% vehicle and photo I.D. check at West Point's Stony Lonesome and Thayer gates. Due to changing academy security requirements, we suggest that you call the band's hotline at 845-938-2617 or check www.usma.edu/special before leaving for the concert. Also, allow extra travel time for the military police checkpoint. West
Point Bicentennial Wrap-up The United States Military Academy Band has had an extraordinarily busy year celebrating the Academy's 200th birthday. Even though the actual bicentennial Founder's Day occurred on March 16th, 2002, the band has been preparing for the festivities for years. Nearly thirty new works for the Concert Band, Hellcats, Jazz Knights and chamber ensembles have been written for the occasion. The culmination of the celebration took place on March 15th, 2002, with a gala concert at Carnegie Hall. In January, Jo Anne Worley, from the Emmy-winning television show “Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In,” brought her vaudevillian style of comedic splendor to the stage with several parodies, including If I Had a Rich Man and Worley's Grand Opera. Three composers were on hand to hear their works premiered: Quincy Hilliard, Nancy Bloomer Deussen and James Barnes. Mr. Hilliard thought the band’s performance of his Fanfare for Freedom was "magnificent!!!" Ms. Deussen's work, Reflections on the Hudson, originally written for orchestra, was intended to display her childhood thoughts of the river. Lt. Col. (retired) Virginia Allen transcribed the work for concert band and conducted the transcription's premiere. Of his work Valor, James Barnes wrote, "It is a musical portrayal of the dogged determination, the indomitable spirit and the raw courage of the men and women who have passed through West Point's halls during the past two centuries." This past February, the Concert Band and Hellcats traveled to Rochester to perform for the College Band Directors’ National Association conference at the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Lawrence Harper presented a lecture/concert titled "The 1952 West Point Commissions." Dr. Harper revisited his doctoral dissertation about the works commissioned by Capt. Francis Resta for the Academy's 1952 Sesquicentennial. The program included excerpts from Morton Gould's Symphony for Band and Roy Harris's West Point Symphony for Band. As a conductor, Dr. Harper interpreted Angel Camp, by Charles Cushing. The West Point percussionists and Mr. Jack Pratt then joined the world famous ensemble Nexus, in a rudimental drumming demonstration. The “2002 West Point Commissions,” the second concert of the day in Rochester spotlighted Staff Sgt. Wayne Tice's technical and musical alto saxophone mastery. He received wide praise after his rendition of David Kechley’s Restless Birds Before the Dark Moon. Other bicentennial works by Timothy Broege, Donald Grantham, Samuel Adler, Alan Fletcher and Ira Hearshen were on the program as well. The February West Point bicentennial concert was originally scheduled to feature two-time Grammy Award winning Metropolitan Opera soprano Sylvia McNair. However, she became ill a day before the event and the band's own Staff Sgt. MaryKay Messenger stepped right up to sing The Artful Rodgers, a Richard Rodgers medley arranged by Staff Sgt. Douglas Richard, and An American Anthem, by Gene Scheer. This event included the Cadet Glee Club, singing The Mansions of the Lord from the movie “We Were Soldiers.” The Glee Club recorded this song in January for the end title sequence of the Mel Gibson movie premiere in March.
The March 15th Carnegie Hall performance seemed like a far-off dream when it was first announced seven years ago. The black-tie affair included speeches by Academy Superintendent, Lieutenant General William Lennox; the Honorable Thomas E. White, Secretary of the Army; and a special rendition of Sousa's The Washington Post, conducted by Walter Cronkite. The Concert Band, Hellcats, U.S. Army Herald Trumpets and Cadet Glee Club honored the Military Academy with traditional West Point favorites like The Official West Point March and On, Brave Old Army Team and also performed several new commissions, including the premiere of Staff Sgt. Douglas Richard's Celebration. For the complete Carnegie Hall concert story with several pictures, click here. On March 16th, 2002, West Point unveiled the bicentennial coin and stamp in a ceremony supported by the Heritage Brass Quintet. The quintet played musical “Americana,” including marches and George M. Cohan songs, as well as the fanfare from Paul Dukas' ballet La Peri. Staff Sgt. Laura Bradley sang the National Anthem to a dignitary-filled audience, including General Eric Shinseki, Army Chief of Staff, local Congresswoman Sue Kelly, Henrietta Holsman Fore, Director of the U.S. Mint, Rosario Marin, U.S. Treasurer, and Carol Riccardi, Manager of Marketing for the U.S. Postal Service . The Academy Band’s Jazz Knights celebrated a jazzy version of the bicentennial with four new works written for big band. On April 7th in the Eisenhower Hall Ballroom, the Knights were delighted to have Dennis Mackrel, James Chirillo and Joe Kiernan conduct their new compositions. The Jazz Knights were deeply saddened at the passing of Manny Albam, who wrote the tune Listen Up! for the occasion. Albam's commission was one of his last creations and can be depicted as a contemporary swing composition that makes use of many modern melodic and harmonic techniques. It features individual improvisation mixed with group motifs in a manner reminiscent of Gospel call-and-response. About his Suite for a New World, Mackrel wrote, "What I've come up with so far would be best described as an extended concert piece that tries to capture the sense of loss that I felt on September 11. So far, it combines elements of European classical music and Brazilian rhythms with American jazz harmonies." Chirillo based his Grainger Suite on two of Percy Aldridge Grainger's tunes, the Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol and Hill-Song No. 2. Mr. Chirillo reminded the crowd of Grainger’s long-standing relationship with the West Point Band, and shared that he wished to "come up with something fun and challenging for the band to play based on his music in a jazz context." Joe Kiernan's West Point Tribute is a patriotic anthem reflecting America's spirit and resolve.
The official conclusion of the United States Military Academy bicentennial celebration occurred with the graduation of the Class of 2002. Graduation week is filled with an alumni march and review, a superintendent's award review and the poignant Graduation Parade. Banquets, hops, the superintendent's garden parties, and the official graduation ceremony were all supported by Academy Band members. The Class of 2002 received their 2nd Lieutenant's bars and will serve the country with the heroic spirit of 200 years of tradition behind them. It is a fitting finale for the Academy's monumental birthday celebration. Academy
Band Change of Command: This June, as the spring flowers fade and summer is ushered in, Lieutenant Colonel David H. Deitrick will bid “adieu” to the Academy Band and a distinguished Army career. Although the parting will be bittersweet, the Academy Band will welcome a familiar face to the podium as Lt. Col. Thomas Rotondi, Jr. returns to West Point and assumes command of the United States Military Academy Band. Lieutenant Colonel David H. Deitrick became the commander of the United States Military Academy Band in June of 1994, after having served as the band’s deputy commander since 1993. Originally from Lima, Ohio, he received his Bachelor of Music degree from the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. He later earned his Master of Music degree and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C. Lt. Col. Deitrick’s Army career began in 1972 when he joined the Army Field Band as a euphonium player. He went on to graduate from the Army Warrant Officer Bandmaster Course in 1977, and was appointed commander of the 19th Army Band, Fort Dix, New Jersey. In 1979, he received a direct commission and served as Staff Bands Officer, 5th Army Headquarters, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. From 1981 to 1988, he was the director of the United States Army Herald Trumpets; the United States Army Ceremonial Band (“Pershing’s Own”), Washington, D.C.; and he founded the Army Brass Band, leading it for seven years. Deitrick was assigned to Europe from 1988 to 1993, first as the Staff Bands Officer and then as the commander of the U.S. Army, Europe, Band and Chorus.
On a recent unseasonably balmy spring afternoon, Lt. Col. Deitrick reminisced about the time he spent at the Military Academy: “My family moved around a lot when I was a kid. Although I spent seven years at the Army Band in Washington, this past January marked nine years that we’ve lived at West Point, and that’s the longest I’ve ever lived anywhere. It feels like home, and I’ve had a great time with the band. When I became commander, the band was in the middle of a strength reduction. One of my goals was to maintain quality as we reduced, and make sure it remained a good place to live and work. This challenge remains because our workload is heavier than it has ever been. Our budget was at an all-time low, and it was difficult to ‘get the message out’ about the Army, the Military Academy and the Band without being able to travel. Once the budget was increased, we made great progress.” Under Deitrick’s command, the Academy Band has performed nationally and internationally at conventions for The International Horn Society, The World Saxophone Congress, The National Flute Association, The Percussive Arts Society; at the Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic, several regional College Band Director’s National Association (CBDNA) conferences, the Western International Jazz Convention, and, most recently, at Carnegie Hall as part of the Academy’s bicentennial celebration. Band chamber music groups now visit colleges and universities across the country, providing concerts and clinics for students and communities. These outreach performances not only benefit the Academy Band, but the entire Army bands program. Regarding the increased travel and high visibility performances, Lieutenant Colonel Deitrick stated, “Over the years I feel I’ve been able to ‘temper’ the band, just as you would temper steel and make it stronger.” “As the band performed at more and more high profile events such as these conventions, the ensemble was able to learn how to perform at a consistently high level. The band continued to develop confidence and unity, which is what an ensemble is all about. All of this work led to a very successful performance at Carnegie Hall. This doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot of hard work and professionalism.” When asked about his favorite memory of the Academy Band, Deitrick replied, “Carnegie Hall was the right program for the right audience and it truly was the highlight of my career at West Point.” Lt. Col. Deitrick departs West Point having made a shining impression upon the band, and he has laid a solid foundation for the future of the unit. “We’ve been able to achieve all of these goals while always working in new personnel. We’ve been able to hire and retain high quality players. The level of musicianship is at an all-time high and the potential of the band is unlimited.”
Lt. Col. Rotondi joined the U.S. Army as a trumpet player in 1977. He received his commission in 1982 through Officer Candidate School, where he was an honor graduate. His previous assignments include Commander, Enlisted Student Company, and Director of Evaluation and Standardization, Armed Forces School of Music, Norfolk, Virginia; Staff Bands Officer, Forces Command, Fort McPherson, Georgia; staff conductor and administrative intern, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth, Texas (this assignment was made possible through the Army’s “Training with Industry” program); Commander/Conductor, United States Continental Army Band, Fort Monroe, Virginia; and Deputy Commander, United States Military Academy Band. Lt. Col. Rotondi’s conducting teachers include John Giordano, Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and Eiji Oue, Music Director of the Minnesota Orchestra. He has twice attended the Conductor’s Seminar at the Tanglewood Music Center, where the faculty included Seiji Ozawa, Maurice Abravanel and Gustav Meier. Lt. Col. Rotondi recently discussed his return to the Academy Band: “I look back at my time as Deputy Commander with fondness. It was pure joy for me to perform with such wonderful musicians. I cherished working for Lieutenant Colonel David Deitrick. Dave’s dedicated and inspiring leadership, as well as his gentle nurturing prepared me for selection as the next Military Academy Band commander.” “I like being part of the rich tradition of the Military Academy Band – the Army’s oldest musical organization. I am returning to West Point with enthusiasm and fresh optimism. I hope to carry on the legacy of this organization, and continue to serve the Army, the Military Academy, and the Corps of Cadets with pride and distinction; reaffirming the value of music to the military, our communities and our country.” Please join the Military Academy in bidding a fond farewell to Lieutenant Colonel Deitrick and welcoming back Lieutenant Colonel. Rotondi on June 16, 2002. During this first concert of the summer season at Trophy Point, a change of command ceremony will take place. The ceremony and concert will be preceded by the Army Birthday celebration and streamer ceremony, and Lieutenant Colonels Deitrick and Rotondi will conduct a joint concert of audience favorites. Be sure to attend this historic Academy Band concert.
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