SAN ANGELO, Texas — Since the late 1700s, military bands in the United States have been traveling across the country and performing for a variety of audiences.
At 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, one of these performance groups -The United States Air Force Band of the West Clarinet Quartet- will be playing at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts.
"We use music as a tool to connect," airman first class and music director Julian Bohorquez said.
The group is made up of four members who have been together for approximately one year and much of their time is dedicated to practice and performance.
"This current group, we spend three hours a day, five days a week rehearsing to get ready for tours like this," staff sergeant and ensemble non-commission officer Michele Von Haugg said.
The group is currently on a tour of West Texas with San Antonio as their first stop and San Angelo as their second.
They often perform at ceremonies, educational organizations, etc. as they spread the mission of the military while encouraging diversity within their performances.
"For us, we're anywhere between Oklahoma all the way down to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands," airman and operations representative Dalton Tran said.
Previously, the group performed in San Angelo back in 2021 during the "Star Spangle Banner" concert with the help of community members.
Now, their 2023 performance will encompass a unique assortment chosen by Bohorquez in collaboration with the group, which will include a traditional march, pieces arranged by women, a Latino composer as well as an Afro-Caribbean song.
"We want to be able to reach out to the community and be able to showcase how the American experience is more diverse than just marches and old, folky kind of music," Tran said.
Looking forward, the ensemble is planning potential trips overseas and to South America later this year and they are also planning to perform back in Austin and San Antonio.
No matter where they are in the world, the group has three main priorities in mind: "Honor, inspire, connect."
Go to music.af.mil for more information.
