FORT SILL, Oklahoma, Feb. 27, 2020 -- For the past three weeks 11 members of the 77th Army Band have been working on the most ambitious "Music in Our Schools" program ever attempted by any band in the Army.

March is "Music in Our Schools Month," and the band will reach out to 20 Lawton-area high schools starting March 4 and continuing through April.

"Music Changes Lives" is their theme, and their goal will be to raise awareness in schools about the importance of music education.

Staff Sgt. Daniel Kelley took the lead on developing plans for their 45-minute presentation. It features live music, singing, dancing, crazy lighting effects, amped-up guitars, and videos. One video is very personal for him, as it shows him saying goodbye to his son and two daughters prior to his 2016 deployment.

Kelley said the band does its "Music in Our Schools" tour every year in partnership with the National Association for Music Education.

"Ever since I've been in the Army we've always played for schools during Music in Our Schools Month," he noted.

For the high schools they'll be playing pop, country, and instrumentals. They'll be talking to students and answering any questions they may have about the Army.

"We're glad for that to happen," Kelley said.

Kelley was recently inducted into the Fort Sill Chapter of the Sgt. Audie Murphy Club, one of the few Army musicians to achieve that sought after distinction. Why did he want to join its ranks?

"It was a challenge. I have a lot of respect for Sgt. Audie Murphy and what he did during his time. And also what he did after he got out of the Army, as far as helping raise awareness for PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)," Kelley said.

He said he feels great now that he's in.

"It was very difficult. It took me two tries to get through, and it was a lot of time and work, but it really paid off. I'm really happy that I did it," said Kelley.

Currently Kelley is the master fitness trainer for the band. He runs most of the unit physical readiness training, every morning at 6:30 a.m. just like every other Soldier in the Army. And just like other Soldiers, they go home, shower, and come back to assemble in formation.

"We do a lot of kettlebell carries, because as a musician when you're deployed you have to carry all of your equipment. If you're not prepared for that, that can cause a lot of injuries. I can say that from personal experience," Kelley said.

Musicians have built-in occupational hazards due to the long hours they spend playing instruments in awkward positions the human body was not designed for, so being in good physical condition can help save marching musicians from a trip to the chiropractor or massage therapist.

Kelley has also implemented a program to help the Army musicians perform the Army Combat Fitness Test to be instituted Armywide this October.

Now he's been selected to be the next drill sergeant at the Army School of Music Advanced Individual Training in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He will report there in September after he goes through Drill Sergeant School in June. He said he's looking forward to the day he puts on his Smokey Bear hat.