Things to Think About...

The U.S. Army Band has remained strong since its organization in 1922. Since then, the importance of the band has grown to become an exemplary group of military ensembles that are supported all over the country and in parts of the world as well. Following my research, I discovered a trend in the leadership of this organization. There are only a select number of Army band leaders and musician that are not Caucasian. Since its forming, large of majority of commissioned band officers have been Caucasian men, which has lightly reflected on that of the government personnel of that time. As a music officer in the Army band, one would hold the authority to inspire a gradual, but necessary change in recruitment that will reflect the demographic of, not only our military, but also our country. So given the information presented, what is the history of military band officers of color? What factors have presented and supported the need for a diverse demographic amongst the military bands? How can the music of American people can be reflected through the performance of military band personnel?