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Air Force Reserve band begins winter concert tour

  • Published
  • By Candice Allen
  • Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  The Band of the U.S. Air Force Reserve begins its nine-day annual winter concert tour Jan. 22.

"Every year, the concert band tours to different places in the southeast," said Maj. Don Schofield, band commander.

This year the band has added two new locations to its line-up - Arnold High School in Panama City Beach, Fla., and Bayshore Festival of the Arts in Naples, Fla.
"We picked these locations to solidify our ongoing, working relationship," said Staff Sgt. Jeremy Cohen, tour coordinator.

The concert band will perform free concerts at eight locations, which include a performing arts center in Albany, Ga., and an education outreach concert at Arnold High School in Panama City Beach for all Bay District music students.

"This is truly a community outreach event ," said Tech. Sgt. Ryan Miles, principal horn for the band. "In addition to concerts, we will go into classrooms and give lessons to the students. It's like the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra coming to town and giving free one-on-one training. It's just that big."

The 45-piece concert band is the largest and most versatile unit of the Air Force Reserve Band. It plays a variety of tunes ranging from classical overtures through Sousa marches to Broadway show tunes, popular music, movie themes and patriotic favorites.

The band's 2009 Holiday Notes From Home was nominated for a prestigious regional Emmy Award. The band will be on the winter concert tour when the 25th Annual Midsouth Regional Emmy award winners are announced in Nashville, Tenn.

"This year is especially nice for us because we get to showcase our skills to our regional audiences and let them see why we were nominated for an Emmy," said Major Schofield. "I can't think of a better way to kick off this year!"

This annual tour includes performances in Tallahassee, Fla., Jan. 23; Panama City Beach, Jan. 24; Lakeland, Fla., Jan. 27; St. Petersburg, Fla., Jan. 28; Fort Myers, Fla., Jan. 29; and Naples, Jan. 30.