Army Materiel Command Band Soldier performs for his biggest fans

By Ms. Lisa Simunaci (AMC)December 10, 2015

usa image
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
usa image
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

During his nine years serving in a military band, Army Sgt. Sean Peabody has performed for thousands of people. He played for deployed troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, multi-cultural audiences in Korea and masses of stateside spectators.

But his own mother had never seen him perform.

That changed Dec. 8, when Georgeann Peabody-Kane made the 200-mile trek from Cataoula, Georgia, to Huntsville, Alabama. She and her 19-year-old daughter, Logan, arrived at the venue well before the Army Materiel Command Band was set to perform its annual holiday concert.

Logan, who has special needs, waited anxiously with headphones over her ears and a tablet in her lap for the performance to begin. Sean checked in on them several times before the curtain call.

"Sean is her hero and he always has been," Georgeann explained. "Being a special-needs young lady, Logan has never had too many friends. She always considered her brother her best friend."

Logan constantly asks Sean when he will be home. Since he arrived at Redstone Arsenal a few months ago, Logan asks even more because he is now close enough to spend more time with his family.

The separations and sacrifices of military life are common for Sean and his family. His dad is a retired Marine. Georgeann spent six years in the Navy.

"He grew up a military child and wanted to continue that tradition," Georgeann said of her son.

He also grew up with a love for music. Sean said he heard chord changes in his head when he was a child. He picked up a saxophone in the sixth grade and transitioned to stringed instruments, primarily bass and guitar. His earliest influences were country and bluegrass, but jazz and classic rock shaped his ideas later on.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2005 and played out his commitment with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band. After eight months in the civilian world, Sean enlisted again, this time with the Army, and served with the 2nd and 3rd Infantry Division bands before his current assignment at Redstone Arsenal.

He is finding his sense of belonging with the AMC Band, where he plays the bass guitar for brass, jazz and rock ensembles, he said. He also spends some time behind the microphone, honing his vocal skills.

When the house lights went down at the recent Huntsville concert, it was Sean's first performance with the entire 48-member band. Decked out in their Army Service Uniforms with instruments at the ready, the band opened with the Star Spangled Banner.

Then the concert, aimed at all ages, took a lighter tone with laughter tying together traditional holiday music and audience sing-alongs. Sean played the bass and belted out a few tunes, including, "I'll Be Home for Christmas."

Georgeann's tears began to flow. She dabbed her wet face as she watched Sean find his comfortable place among the Army musicians.

"I must admit I cried when I saw my son perform for the first time," Georgeann said, amazed not only by her son, she said, but by the talented group of performers on stage.

Logan also beamed with pride, grinning from ear-to-ear at the sight of her brother.

Georgeann dialed in her husband, Sean's stepfather, on Skype so he could also watch part of the show.

"Having my stepdad, who is another huge influence in my life, be able to see it via Skype finally gave me the feeling that 'I'll Be Home For Christmas,' was not just a song I was performing for others, it was not just a wish, but an actual truth I was able to sing for myself for once."

As a crowded auditorium jumped to a standing ovation, Sean was onstage silently applauding his sister.

"My sister is my hero," Sean said. "Despite her special needs, constant sickness and the uphill challenges she faces every day, she always gets up with a smile."

Sean said Logan's love of music surpasses his own, and she never passes an opportunity to share her enthusiasm.

"To have them there was my one and only wish for this holiday season," Sean said. "I wanted to be able to perform for them and show them how far I've come as a professional and as a Soldier. I also want them to see why I do this job, which is to bring the power of music and a smile to someone's face."