Why he became an MU

Your band teacher told you about his days as a Navy bandsman. A Navy band came to your school and blew you away. The gigs ran out and the rent was due. You wanted to serve your country. You opened a letter and read, "Greetings. You have seen selected by your friends and neighbors..."

We became Navy musicians for thousands of reasons. Whatever the reason, the experience helped shape our lives as musicians and citizens.

Consider the life of this trumpet player, a World War Two bandsman who became an MU because he liked the little harp the musicians wore on their sleeves.



Video produced by The National Visionary Leadership Project, "the premier resource for oral history interviews with African American elders who shaped the 20th century."