Academy Band shares love of music, profession at Midwest Clinic

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Meredith Kirchoff
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
CHICAGO --  Representatives of the Air Force Academy Band spent three days sharing the Academy story through love of music and their military profession at the Midwest Clinic international band and orchestra conference here Dec. 15-17.

"The mission is first to tell the good story of the cadets and what we're doing at the Air Force Academy," said Academy Band Director Lt. Col. Larry Lang. "Also, to talk to music educators about the quality of the Air Force bands, in particular the Academy band. What a great set of professional musicians we have, and what a wonderful opportunity it is for their students to think about down the road when they think about careers. It's one of the great careers in the Air Force--to be in the band program."

The Midwest Clinic is an annual conference focused on education-- raising the standards of music education and teaching techniques, and disseminating that to music educators and students, according to the event's website. Almost 16,000 people attended the 2010 series including middle school, high school and college students, directors, conductors, musicians and composers.

"We've had a booth here for probably 50 years, so people know we're going to be here, and that we're going to have great recordings," Colonel Lang said. "And yes, we develop friendships with directors who've been around for a long time, who send their students off to college, who ask where they should go and we want to keep those relationships going."

Between countless workshops, concerts and sharing Academy Band CDs and stories with attendees, some band members found time to reach out to students in the local community who were not able to participate in the conference. Tech. Sgt. Ryan Janus, a saxophonist, held a Jazz clinic at a Chicago suburb middle school.

"I'm presenting a positive, professional image of the Air Force to all these young kids," he said. "And who knows, later on when they're thinking about where to go to college they might decide to look at the Air Force Academy. Beyond that, I just love teaching, and any chance I get I will pursue it."

The Air Force Academy Band represents the U.S. Air Force Academy and its mission to local and national audiences. All concerts are free and open to the public. The band will kick off its 2011 season with two Chamber Recital Series "Jazz Combo" concerts Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center in Pueblo, Colo., and Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Packard Hall, Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colo.