EDINBURGH, Scotland -- Members of the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus gave an educational, hands-on demonstration of their musical instruments to members of the London-based Imps Motorcycle Display Team this week in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The USAREUR Band and Chorus and the Imps both have featured performing acts in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Members of the Band and Chorus volunteered to spend time before one of their evening performances demonstrating their expertise to the Imps, ranging in age from 5 to 17, allowing them to try out the instruments and spark an interest in music.
The youth were divided by age into three groups and rotated together through stations led by the Army musicians to sample brass, woodwind, and rhythm instruments. Soldiers performed familiar musical excerpts for the Imps before giving them the opportunity to try their skills on the different instruments.
"They were all very excited to try everything out," Master Sgt. Larry Dean, trumpet player in the USAREUR Band, noted after demonstrating some basic skills to the children.
The Imps Motorcycle Display Team originated in the 1970's as a holiday adventure group for underprivileged children. When one of the children involved in the holiday camp session found a non-functional motor bike, the camp's director told them if they worked together to fix it up and get it running, they would be allowed to ride it.
"The group started completely by accident and set off, really, by the kids themselves," Assistant Director of the Imps Brian Stewart said as they reached the rather unexpected success of repairing the broken down motor bike.
Learning to ride motorcycles became an integrated part of the holiday camp, and they soon began performing stunt routines on the bikes at local fairs.
Today the Imps perform for crowds internationally, wowing them with jaw-dropping stunts on motorcycles of various sizes. In addition to educating members on how to safely ride and perform on motorcycles, they leaders of the Imps also foster values similar to those of the U.S. Army -- self-discipline, teamwork, and professionalism.
Outreach projects like these give members of the USAREUR Band and Chorus the opportunity to share their talents with children who are eager to try something new and possibly aspire to become musicians themselves.
"Basically, it gives them an interest in something totally different," Stewart said. "It gives the kids the opportunity to learn that music is a fantastic medium through which you can make friends and through which you can get a lot of enjoyment."
Performing alongside a diverse array of other musical, military, and dance acts from around the world, the USAREUR Band and Chorus will continue to share the stage with the Imps at the historic Edinburgh Castle for the remainder of the Tattoo performances, through 27 August.
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