To look at the photographs of me from my ceremonial band conducting days, you wouldn't guess that, inside, I was a quivering mass of nervous frenzy. At every moment during a ceremony, I was frantically considering what was about to go wrong and how my career would suffer.
I later came to learn that I was not alone--worrying about The Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen is a job requirement, a practical factor for the position of cermonial band conductor.
Sometimes, The Worst Thing actually does happen. The following sound file came to me from a trusted friend who passed it along as he received it from his source. He has asked to remain anonymous but states that a "top D.C. band Commander" confims the story is true. Here's the poop:
Two military bands--the U.S. Marine Corps band and the Army Herald Trumpets--were recently ordered to participate in the ceremony welcoming the Pope to the White House. The following sound file is a recording of the rendition of honors to the President of the United States. We may not have the answer as to why things went afoul, but we can agree on one thing: the Herald Trumpet arrangement of "Hail to the Chief" is not in the same key as the band arrangement.
Click on the folowing link, put yourself in the shoes of a nervous bandleader and prepare to die just a little bit as you listen to a recording of The Worst Thing That Could Possibly Happen.
Frank Mullen's very unofficial source of poop, skinny and bitching for present and former U.S. Navy Musicians.
2 comments:
Well, as a CC, one could end up ducttaped to the Colors Pole, after morning colors.
One gets "lost", ending up at the Mustang Ranch, while driving a Navy van.
When a Bandmaster has to explain why someone was mooned, while traveling BEHIND a navy van.
Your at a sports game. There are several live mikes on. An F bomb, or a fart by Thom Weller, is broadcasted throughout the stadium.
Ahh the good 'ol days.....
It was actually a fart by Thom Weller that ended my Navy career. He stunk up the van in Brunswick, Me and as I was pushing him out the door, someone, I think it was little Bob Clark, opened the passenger door and broke two of my fingers. These two broken fingers led to three shoulder surgeries that caused me to alter the way I held my instruments which ultimately led to my right hand becoming a claw.
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