Marine band to close out concert series

DOWNEY - The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band based out of Twentynine Palms will delight the community Wednesday at Furman Park for the finale of the city of Downey's Twilight Summer Concert Series.Established in the late 1950s, the band is one of the youngest Marine Corps musical units. A band from its inception, it was later reestablished as a drum and bugle corps and remained that way until 1990, when a restructure of the Corps music program formally established the 12 Marine Corps bands that exist today. The band travels extensively throughout the western United States. Recent tours have seen the band in Nevada, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Some of their most popular performances are at the annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena and the Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival in Estes Park, Colo. In order to fulfill their mission of providing music for military ceremonies, community events, recruiting programs and other official events, the 51 band members perform in a wide variety of ensembles to include concert band, ceremonial band, brass band, woodwind quintet, jazz combo and brass quintet. The men and women of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band are trained Marine riflemen who serve as a perimeter security/machine gun platoon during times of war. With Gulf War veterans in their ranks, they give full meaning to the term "Marine Musicians." The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band carries on the proud tradition of military music forged by the whistling fifes and rolling drums of the first Marine Musicians of 1775. Chief Warrent Officer 2 Stephen B. Giove is the band officer while Gunnery Sgt. Carl J. Vanderzee is the bandmaster. The concert begins at 7 p.m. and is free.

********** Published: August 21, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 18

Community, NewsEric Pierce