Navy Band Northwest: Service with style

Navy Band Northwest (NBNW) held a concert titled “Forward March II,” which consisted of 13 patriotic scores at Naval Undersea Museum’s Jack Murdock Auditorium, March 16.

“This is the month of March and this is a military band, so by default, we play a lot of marches,” said Musician 3rd Class Drew Williams. “We figured we’d play a lot of marches in the month of March. It’s kind of a nice display, because not everyone gets to hear 12 marches in an hour.”

NBNW compiled the marching scores and linked them together with brief historical tidbits coupled with humor. Some of the audience members believe NBNW’s meticulous performance gives testimony of their versatile ability.

“I’ve been watching these outstanding musicians perform for quite a while now,” said Charles Freeman, audience member. “I’m amazed at the professionalism and the skill of these young men and women. You never realize how all those hours of practice truly pay off until you see the proof. In this case, it’s an auditorium packed out with young and old alike.”

“Performing for a receptive audience makes the individual practice and group rehearsals worth it,” said Musician 3rd Class Joseph Schoonmaker. “Public relations is one of our primary duties, so if we can give the audience a quality musical and entertainment experience, we believe we have done our job well.”

NBNW weren’t the only musicians, as they invited a special guest, Army Staff Sergeant Omar Riostuberaquia, a flute player from Fort Lewis.

“It was an honor that he could come out here and volunteer his time, since we don’t have a flute player,” said Williams. “He was instrumental to the band’s success and played a critical part. He was great.”

Near the end of the concert, the Navy Band played each military service branch’s theme song.

“They were awesome,” said Ramon Rosario, who attended the concert. “Those patriotic pieces bring back memories. I come here to hear them play; it’s always a treat.”

For more information on NBNW performances, go to http://www.navybandnw.cnrnw.navy.mil{{PERIOD}}