The Navy: It’s not just a job, it’s a gig

Sailors perform in a different capacity

Friday, May 9, 2008

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by STACY SNEED U.S. Navy Band members perform last Friday during a concert at North Point High School. The band will perform today at the College of Southern Maryland’s La Plata campus at 8 p.m. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo String bass player Petty Officer 1st Class Steph Coats performed during the concert in two capacities. He was the string bass player, as well as an enlisted conductor for a portion of the show.

But indeed it was. The U.S. Navy Band allowed their tunes to flow through North Point High School’s auditorium and the full house didn’t seem to mind being swept away by the talented bunch as the concert remained at full capacity through the late evening.

‘‘Being in the U.S. Navy offers a nice and steady job with prestige to represent my country,” said Chief Petty Officer Eric Moore, principal French horn player. ‘‘But being a musician also offers a nice crossover. It’s juxtaposition so to speak. I love to play.”

While the Navy band has already had several concerts in Charles County, they continue to navigate their way to the county to show exactly what they’re made of.

Yes, they are in the Navy and yes, their jobs are to serve the country, but these men and women said they also want to show what other capacities they can excel in.

Moore who has been playing the French horn for 30 years said he started playing when he was 10 years old. He began playing the trumpet when he became interested watching one of his friends play.

Lucky for him, his dad convinced him that the French horn would be a better fit.

‘‘My dad told me, ‘If you’re going to play a brass instrument, you should play the French horn. People who play it are either really good or really bad at it. It’ll offer more opportunities, because not that many people play it,’” recalled Moore. ‘‘It’s neat to be playing. I love music that much.”

While he takes his artistry quite seriously, he also wanted to make sure people knew that’s not the only capacity the band members serve in the U.S. Navy, although being a part of the band is a tough job within itself.

‘‘I do more than just play. I’m also the section leader as well. Being in the Navy band, I rose in position. I’m not in the same job I was 14 years ago. I coordinate particular programs ...,” said Moore. ‘‘There’s a variety of things we do. We not only do the performances ... the music part is usually not the hard part. We move up in leadership positions [in the Navy], but we all are musically trained and learned side duties as well.”

According to Moore, the band members have to audition for the honor of being a part of the 55- to 60-member orchestra. If they are considered ‘‘a high-level performer” then they move on to two and a half hour rehearsals four times a week, with one concert a week in the winter and spring to three or four concerts during the summer.

‘‘I don’t think people realize that they have world-class musical groups who provide free concerts to the metropolitan area. They don’t realize they have this quality music,” he said.

For Petty Officer 1st Class Steph Coats, enlisted conductor and string bass player, music is second nature. He started playing the string bass in 1994, but has been familiar with creating music long before that.

‘‘I was always looking for new challenges. After I played rock, I learned how to play jazz and then classical. I found something I was good at,” he laughed.

Coats joined the U.S. Navy band in 1994 when he enlisted in the military. He said that’s usually how it goes for the people in the band.

‘‘You audition for a position and right after boot camp you come here to Washington, D.C.,” he said. ‘‘It’s a chance to play concerts. It’s a great opportunity to do something.”

Coats said the ensemble is made up of five distinct groups –– the big band, chorus, country⁄bluegrass, rock and classical concert band.

That’s just a little of what concert-goers can expect to experience, as Coats provides a show conducting just in itself. When his style was described as animated, he just laughed, and said it’s what he loves to do –– one of his favorite pastimes currently.

‘‘It’s really where most of my endeavors are taking me to. I find joy in it and I’m focusing more on [conducting] now,” said Coats.

He spoke of the sound he thinks the Navy band brings to each concert as a world-class sound.

‘‘It’s the finest you’ll hear around. The members have a mastery of their instrument. It’s a dynamic concert band,” said Coats. ‘‘The unique thing about mission is our professionalism. You get to see your Navy in action. We’re serving the country and official state functions.

‘‘When we go out and see the appreciation of the people and their sense of pride, that’s most gratifying.”

As Friday’s program wrapped up, the U.S. Navy band saluted each branch of the military by asking them to stand up as the band recognized each branch.

But lastly, the performance ended with a standing ovation from the crowd as they delighted in their Friday night evening.

Coats said it’s easy to keep things fresh at each concert, because they always have new music every week –– a little something for everyone.