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Sounds
from the Hudson Volume 14, Issue 2 LTC Timothy J. Holtan -
Commander Photographers: Contributing
Photographers: NEW
FEATURE United States Military Academy Band Performs at Summer Venues
United States Military Academy Band The United States Military Academy Band will continue its popular "Music Under the Stars" concert series this summer. Concerts at West Point's Trophy Point Amphitheatre will begin Sunday, June 11th with the Concert Band presenting an event entitled “Celebrating the Army's Birthday” under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Timothy J. Holtan. Concerts continue on Sunday evenings throughout the summer, concluding on Saturday, September 2nd (Rain date: Sunday, September 3rd). At this concert, the Academy Band will be joined by the Soldiers' Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band for a performance of the 1812 Overture, complete with cannon and fireworks. Every year, Academy Band members and Hudson Valley residents look forward to the summer concert series at Trophy Point. Pack the picnic baskets, grab the family and join us for wonderful Sunday evenings full of breathtaking views of the Hudson River and masterful musical performances by the U.S. Military Academy Concert Band, Jazz Knights and Hellcats.
The summer concert season will also feature the U.S. Military Academy Concert Band in performances on the road in the Northeast region. On August 16th, the Concert Band will perform on the grounds of the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York. The Vanderbilt Mansion is the physical manifestation of a rich history of familial wealth in America. Frederick William Vanderbilt, the third in a line of "richest men in America," purchased the property in 1895 for use as a seasonal country residence. The Vanderbilt Mansion site was incorporated by the National Park Service in 1939. Today, the beauty of the architectural design and manicured gardens transport visitors back in time to the late 19th Century. Join the Academy Band for a performance set against the opulent backdrop of the Vanderbilt Estate.
Last summer, the U.S. Military Academy Concert Band traveled to Lehman Township, Pennsylvania for its first performance at the Mountain Laurel Center. On July 29th, the Concert Band will return to the Mountain Laurel Center for another performance. The Mountain Laurel Center, a non-profit arts organization, boasts an impressive concert venue, the Tom Ridge Pavilion. Consisting of a 2500 seat concert hall with retractable walls that give way to a grassy hill, the pavilion is a gorgeous indoor-outdoor venue.
The Tom Ridge Pavilion has been the host of such performing ensembles as the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Beach Boys. Whether you are interested in a formal sit-down concert or a picnic on the lawn, the Concert Band’s performance at Mountain Laurel Center will please you.
The Concert Band will perform a special program entitled Listener’s Choice on August 20th at the Trophy Point Amphitheatre. This is an opportunity for the public to request favorite selections for inclusion on the performance. We will accept your music requests by phone at (845)938-2617 (select option 2 when prompted), or by mail at: USMA Band, ATTN: Publicity Section, 685 Hardee Place, West Point, NY 10996
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Staff Sgt. Joshua
Economy, trumpet, from Old Orchard Beach, Maine, joined the Jazz
Knights in March of 2006. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the
University of New Hampshire in 1999, where he studied with Dr. Robert
Stibler. In 2002, he completed his Master of Music in Jazz Studies
from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with George Garzone,
Bob Brookmeyer and John McNeil. Prior to joining the Jazz Knights,
Staff Sgt. Economy was a freelance musician in the Los Angeles area,
participating in jazz festivals and recording albums in various genres.
His jazz trio, Zinfandel, worked as the house band at Parker's
Lighthouse in Long Beach, California. In 2005, he was a finalist
at the Long Beach Jazz Festival New Artist Competition. Staff Sgt.
Economy was also a featured soloist on Will Street's album Seven
Colors of Love and can be heard on Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra's
Clairvoyance featuring Bob Brookmeyer and George Garzone. He
has performed with Lewis Nash, Dave Liebman and Clark Terry.
Staff Sgt. James McCain,
saxophone, joined the U.S. Military Academy Concert Band in November of
2005. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan and the
Peabody Conservatory, where he studied with Don Sinta and Gary Louie,
respectively. Staff Sgt. McCain has appeared nationally as a
competition winner, recitalist and chamber musician, and has been
involved in community outreach as a member of Delaware Classical Artists
and Peabody Outreach. Under the auspices of the Center for Chinese
Studies and the School of Music at the University of Michigan, he
performed as a member of the school's inaugural Chinese Ensemble at the
Ann Arbor Asian Festival.
Staff Sgt. Joshua
Phillips, horn, originally from Newfoundland, New Jersey, joined the
U.S. Military Academy Concert Band in February of 2006. Staff Sgt.
Phillips holds a Bachelor of Music with an Outside Field (B.M.O.) in
Multimedia Design from Ithaca College and finished his graduate studies
at Northwestern University in the Spring of 2005. He has studied
with Jerry Peel, Alex Shuhan, William Barnewitz and Gail Williams.
Staff Sgt. Phillips has been a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago
and the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra. He has also appeared with the
International Contemporary Ensemble and Rhythm and Brass.
June of 2006 will mark the departure of
Master Sgt. Louis Pappas, bass, from the U.S. Military Academy Band.
Master Sgt. Pappas joined the USMA Band in November of 1986. Along with
his duties in the Jazz Knights and the Jazz Knights Combo, he performed
regularly with the Concert Band and was an active participant with the
band's Chamber Music Series, culminating with the world premiere
performance of Robert Baksa's Sonata for Contrabass and Piano.
Since 2001, Master Sgt. Pappas was the Operations Non-Commissioned
Officer for the Jazz Knights, planning the schedule for that group.
Performances included such venues as the annual Springfest Jazz Festival
in Denver, Colorado, and headlining the International Society of
Bassists Convention in Richmond, Virginia with fellow bassist John
Clayton. Originally from Denver, Colorado, Master Sgt. Pappas
received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Metropolitan State
College in Denver, and his Master of Music in Double Bass Performance
from Colorado State University. After spending this summer
visiting family in Denver, Lou plans to return to the Hudson Valley
region to continue performing and teaching.
Sergeant 1st Class Thomas Price,
tuba, will retire in August of 2006 after serving a career of 20 years
in the U.S. Military Academy Band. Originally from Austin, Texas,
Sgt. 1st Class Price attended Southwest Texas State University, where he
received his Bachelor of Music Education. He earned his Master of
Music from the University of Kansas. In 1994, Tom was a featured
soloist with "Pershing's Own" U.S. Army Band. Beginning in 1987,
Sgt. 1st Class Price was a member of the Heritage Brass Quintet, and
performed extensively with that ensemble. Sgt. 1st Class Price was
involved with the production of Army football halftime shows from 1991
until 2004. Tom will be moving to Temecula, California with his
wife Carla and his two children, Jessie and Andy. He and Carla
will both teach in the Lake Elsinore School District.
The son of a career military trombonist,
Master Sgt. Douglas Remine, trombone, followed in his father's
footsteps when he joined the Jazz Knights in May of 1983. Prior to
enlisting in the Army, he studied with premier brass specialist Dr.
Donald S. Reinhardt and attended the Dick Grove Music Workshop in Los
Angeles, California. He has performed with Sammy Davis Jr., Ben
Vereen, Barbara Mandrel, Paul Anka and other distinguished artists.
In February of 2000 he became the Operations Non-Commissioned Officer of
the Jazz Knights Combo and became Non-Commissioned Officer In-Charge in
December of 2004. Master Sgt. Remine performs as the lead
trombonist in the Jazz Knights and is a member of the jazz combo.
Master Sgt. Remine will retire in November of 2006 with 24 years of
service. He will continue to reside in the area with his wife
Dorian and daughters, Cynthia and Christina. Doug will work with
his wife, a professional watercolor artist, while teaching and
freelancing in New York.
After 22 years of service, the U.S.
Military Academy Band's piccolo soloist and historian, Master Sgt.
William Treat, retired in May of 2006. Master Sgt. Treat, a
native of Florida, was the flute section leader and played flute and
piccolo in the Concert Band. Master Sgt. Treat received a Bachelor
of Music from Florida State University; a Master of Arts from Columbia
University Teachers College, New York City; and the Doctor of Musical
Arts from the University of Washington, Seattle. Master Sgt. Treat
was a member of the West Point Woodwind Quintet since joining the band
in 1982. Bill states, "I will treasure many memories of loyal and
colorful friends at West Point, and will remember the Band and its
family in my prayers for years to come. It has been a blessing and
an honor to serve here at this special place." Though his future
occupation is uncertain, he plans on relocating to Grand Rapids,
Michigan with his wife Diane and two sons, Ian and Logan.
Rudimental drummer, Master Sgt. Donald
Trefethen, a native of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, retired with 29
years of service this past May. Entering the Army in 1971, he
served in the 18th Army Band, at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, and in 1972
was accepted as a member of the Academy Band's Field Music Group, “The
Hellcats.” After completing his first enlistment, Master Sgt.
Trefethen attended the University of New Hampshire where he earned a
Bachelor of Music in 1978. He taught high school band for two
years and then joined the 39th Army Band in Manchester, New Hampshire.
In 1985, he returned to the U.S. Military Academy Band. Master
Sgt. Trefethen served as the drum section leader of the Hellcats from
2002 until his retirement. Since retiring, Don and his wife, Pat,
have settled in their new home in Hampton, New Hampshire.