United States Air Force Band of the Golden West

The United States Air Force Band of the Golden West is an American military band based at Travis Air Force Base, California. Its area of responsibility outside its home state includes Washington, Oregon, Arizona, and Nevada. It also supports 13 bases, 8 reserve wings, and 6 recruiting squadrons.

United States Air Force Band of the Golden West
Emblem
Founded1997
Branch United States Air Force
TypeMilitary band
Size60
Garrison/HQTravis Air Force Base, Fairfield, California
Commanders
Current
commander		Major Joseph S. Hansen

History

The band's nickname/title of being the "Band of the Golden West" originated from the 574th and 575th Air Fore Bands who were the first to be designated as such. Based in Pleasanton, California, they held this honour until they were both inactivated in 1954. In 1994, the NORAD Band merged with the 15th Air Force Band and in 1997, was re-designated with its current name. In the three years between the merge and the band's renaming, the band was known as the "Air Mobility Command Band of the Golden West", effectively becoming the only active duty USAF band west of the Rocky Mountains.[1]

15th Air Force Band

The 15th Air Force Band was constituted in Scott Field, Illinois on 1 October 1941 as a band in the United States Army Air Forces. It is the oldest ancestor of the current band. It originally was redesignated several times: first as the 23rd Army Air Forces Band, then finally as the 523rd Army Air Forces Band in 1944. The band was moved to Camp Shanks in New York in 1944 and was stationed there early 1945 when it sent to serve in Le Havre, France as well as the British city of Warton. It would stay overseas for the duriation of the year, coming home only in December of that year to be inactivated. in the mid-50s, the band was reactivated and moved to March Air Force Base, California on 1 December 1952. On its golden jubilee in 1991, the band was re-designated as the "15th Air Force Band of the Golden West", was moved to Travis Air Force Base to be merged with "America's Band in Blue" (504th Air Force Band).

NORAD Band

The NORAD Band was sponsored by the USAF part of the North American Air Defense (NORAD) Command. It was a joint project between the United States Armed Forces and the Canadian Forces, as it was composed of members from the Army, Navy, and Air Force from the American side as well as musicians from the Royal Canadian Air Force representing the Canadian side.[2] It was established in 1959 and operated as a touring band. During its existence, it had 90-members in its ranks. It often made performances on television and radio, making appearances at the Today Show, the Tonight Show, and the Dinah Shore Show. It took part in the filming of shows such as The Steve Allen Show and The Bell Telephone Hour.[3] Ensembles it maintained ranged from the "Dixietones" to the NORAD "Velvetones". The band was dissolved in 1979, with the portion that were Americans being repurposed into the 504th Air Force Band of the Golden Gate. Notable Canadian members have included musician Bobby Herriot[4][5] Rudolph Paul Gazarek future Director of the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy(Naden-Band-history-Jack-Mirtle) and the then future director of the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces, Derek Stannard.[6] In 1991, the band was re-designated as "America's Band in Blue".

Ensembles

The band is composed of the following ensembles:[7]

  • Concert Band
  • Ceremonial Marching Band
  • Commanders Jazz Ensemble
  • Mobility Ensemble
  • Travis Brass quintet
  • Golden West Winds Woodwind Quintet
  • Galaxy Ensemble

The Commanders Jazz Ensemble, is composed of 20 full-time professional musicians, and serves as the official jazz band for the Band of the Golden West. It performs many of the pieces written by jazz and big band personalities such as Duke Ellington, Woody Herman and Count Basie.[8] It was declared a National Treasure by Congress in 1987.[9]

Events

The band has performed for gubernatorial inaugurations as well as military parades. Guest artists such as Marvin Stamm, Arturo Sandoval, Wayne Newton and Bob Hope have performed with the band. It has also performed at sporting events for teams such as the San Francisco Giants and the San Francisco 49ers. In a decade, the band led off three Tournament of Roses parades in Pasadena. In 2004, the band supported the interment ceremony of President Ronald Reagan in Simi Valley.[10]

See also

References
  1. "Air Force Bands > Bands > U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West > About Us > History". music.af.mil. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  2. "The Norad Band: Musical Defenders". ProQuest. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  3. "North American Air Defense Norad Command Band". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  4. "Bobby Herriot". The Hamilton Concert Band. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  5. "Music Director Biography". tcband.ca. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  6. "Military Musicians". theheritageofmilitarymusic.com. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  7. "Air Force Bands > Bands > U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West > Ensembles". music.af.mil. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  8. "U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West - Mesa, Arizona - Phoenix, Arizona". mesaartscenter.com. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  9. "United States Air Force Band of the Golden West Spring Concert | Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre". vpat.net. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  10. "Air Force Bands > Bands > U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West > About Us". music.af.mil. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
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