Navy Musicians Association
2016 Reunion
June 15-19
Kansas City, MO
Frank Mullen's very unofficial source of poop, skinny and bitching for present and former U.S. Navy Musicians.
Showing posts with label Frank Mullen III. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frank Mullen III. Show all posts
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
The Daily Poop - Wed, 11JUN14
Welcome to the first 2014 issue of the Daily Poop, the annual, laser-guided, heat-seeking bag of crap that fills the two weeks leading up to the reunion of the Navy Musicians Association.
The Daily Poop will appear every morning here at NavyLyres. It's a compendium of reunion news, views and scuttlebutt as well as a dumping ground for self-absorbed chronicles of my personal doings.
The reunion officially begins on Wed., 25JUN, but things at the hotel will start stirring up a few days early as early birds arrive and preparations begin. A day or so before 25th, the Daily Poop will mutate into LiveBlog2014, constant reportage featuring photos, videos and blather.
Yes, this gets my shipmates p.o.'d, but I consider it worth the sacrifice.
A lot of MUs made their first reunion appearances last year and we're expecting even more in 2014. You probably have questions (Is there a dress code? What do I do when I arrive at the hotel? Can I bring a buddy who's not an MU?). You'll find answers to common questions at the First-timer's Guide.
The Daily Poop will appear every morning here at NavyLyres. It's a compendium of reunion news, views and scuttlebutt as well as a dumping ground for self-absorbed chronicles of my personal doings. The reunion officially begins on Wed., 25JUN, but things at the hotel will start stirring up a few days early as early birds arrive and preparations begin. A day or so before 25th, the Daily Poop will mutate into LiveBlog2014, constant reportage featuring photos, videos and blather.
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One of the things I love the most about NMA reunions is overhearing people complain about me. There's something special about the wonderful whispered phrase, "That damn Frank." This is because I always spend the springtime dieting so as to lose the evidence of winter excess and get myself into fighting trim by reunion time. I've got the poundage down to MU1 level and expect to reach MU2 by the reunion. Yes, this gets my shipmates p.o.'d, but I consider it worth the sacrifice.
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A note to first-time attendees:A lot of MUs made their first reunion appearances last year and we're expecting even more in 2014. You probably have questions (Is there a dress code? What do I do when I arrive at the hotel? Can I bring a buddy who's not an MU?). You'll find answers to common questions at the First-timer's Guide.
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Got gossip? Coming for your first reunion? Chained to your oar in the galley? Lemme know.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Once again: our fleet bands are the real deal.
I'm a fleet band kind of guy, and that's putting it nicely. Sure, I appreciate the expertise of our "special" bands in Washington and Annapolis, but the fleet bands have always done the heavy lifting.
Last year my wife and I went to see the US Navy Band's Sea Chanters here in western Illinois. They were tremendous, there's no denying it. Midway through the show, they took a few minutes to thank the audience for supporting them on their annual three-week tour.
"Wow," my wife whispered. "A three-week tour! Did you ever do something like that when you were in the Navy?"
"Yeah," I said. "Sometimes, one a month."
So I get bummed when I see well-produced Navy videos that feature fleet bands, but contain soundtrack music by the US Navy Band. Fleet bands are not chopped liver, I tell myself; why do we have to import audio tracks from the high and mighty?
That's what was going through my mind as I watched this video celebrating the 70th anniversary of the US Navy 7th Fleet, a 4 1/2-minute photo montage held together by concert band music. "Damn good video," I'm telling myself, "made even better by the damn US Navy Concert Band. Sure, they're good; great, in fact. But why couldn't a fleet band do the job? In fact, they shoulda had the 7th Fleet Band do the job instead of--"
Then came the closing credits. The music was, in fact, provided by the 7th Fleet Band.
Nicely done, shipmates. Those fancy-pants boys and girls in DC ain't got nothing on you.
I don't say this because I was a fleet bandsman (once leader of the 7th Fleet Ceremonial Band, in fact), or because the Navy Band long ago refused my entreaties to join them in their rigorous regimen of annual three-week tours. No, I say it because it's true:
Our fleet bands are the real deal.
Last year my wife and I went to see the US Navy Band's Sea Chanters here in western Illinois. They were tremendous, there's no denying it. Midway through the show, they took a few minutes to thank the audience for supporting them on their annual three-week tour.
"Wow," my wife whispered. "A three-week tour! Did you ever do something like that when you were in the Navy?"
"Yeah," I said. "Sometimes, one a month."
So I get bummed when I see well-produced Navy videos that feature fleet bands, but contain soundtrack music by the US Navy Band. Fleet bands are not chopped liver, I tell myself; why do we have to import audio tracks from the high and mighty?
That's what was going through my mind as I watched this video celebrating the 70th anniversary of the US Navy 7th Fleet, a 4 1/2-minute photo montage held together by concert band music. "Damn good video," I'm telling myself, "made even better by the damn US Navy Concert Band. Sure, they're good; great, in fact. But why couldn't a fleet band do the job? In fact, they shoulda had the 7th Fleet Band do the job instead of--"
Then came the closing credits. The music was, in fact, provided by the 7th Fleet Band.
Nicely done, shipmates. Those fancy-pants boys and girls in DC ain't got nothing on you.
I don't say this because I was a fleet bandsman (once leader of the 7th Fleet Ceremonial Band, in fact), or because the Navy Band long ago refused my entreaties to join them in their rigorous regimen of annual three-week tours. No, I say it because it's true:
Our fleet bands are the real deal.
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