NANCHANG, China -- Soldiers from the 8th U.S. Army Band performed in China Tattoo, with 53 Soldiers participating in the various shows which were conducted in Nanchang, Oct. 24 - 31.
Soldiers who went to China had the opportunity to perform music with bands from other countries, such as the Royal Artillery Band of the United Kingdom, Russian Frontier Guard Band, Singapore Armed Forces Central Band and the Military Band of Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy.
"The best part about being in China was the interaction with the Chinese people and all the others from around the world. Actually, the whole foreign experience was great," said Sgt. 1st Class Leon Baker, operations director.
Soldiers participated in the opening ceremony, which included a parade through the city of Nanchang and for many of these Soldiers, it was their first time in China. They were greeted like stars with smiling faces and claps from the local crowd as they lined up to watch the parade.
At the end of the parade and every other performance, Soldiers were swarmed by local media. With questions such as, "Are we being treated well'", "How do we like it there'" and the most infamous one, "Would we make another trip to China on our own'"
The most popular show by far was the Military Tattoo in which the 8th U.S. Army Band performed a compilation of Michael Jackson music in his memory. Songs included Thriller, Beat it, Billy Jean and Can you Feel it. Chinese locals were so thrilled and excited, they asked, "Did you choose to perform Michael Jackson because you wanted to be liked'"
Not only did the 8th Army Band perform instrumentally, they also had five vocalists: Spc. Maurice Jackson, Cpl. Wang Woong-gyu, Spc. Grace Robinson, Pfc. Min Kyung-il, Cpl. Seo Jin-won and Pfc. Seog Ju-seung.
When asked, Cpl. Wang Woong-gyu stated that this event was the most memorable not only because he performed in front of a large audience but also because he was in China for the first time.
Although all vocalists enjoyed their performance, all did not feel that this was the most memorable just because it was their first trip to China.
"The most memorable ... was the Tengwang Palace in Nanchang where the closing ceremony was held. It was beautiful. It was seven stories high and even though the town surrounding the palace has modernized, it still holds a rustic feeling inside," said Robinson.
The closing ceremony included a six-minute concert from the 8th U.S. Army Band who performed Stars and Stripes, Forever and New York, New York. In the end, all bands performed the theme Song of Nanchang Tattoo with an extravagant firework show that lasted about 15 minutes.
After the final performance was over, most Soldiers spent the evening interacting with other military band members as it was their last night in China. Although there were language and cultural barriers, the Soldiers were able to break down the barriers and build new relationships and friendships with one another through one thing they all shared. Music.
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