FORT BRAGG, N.C. (MARCH 27, 2011) - With Fort Bragg soon to be the new home for the Army Forces Command's Army Ground Forces Band, the band is eager to introduce itself to its new hometown community.
To that end, the band's commander, Maj. Treg Ancelet, met while here on a March 24-25 visit with arts/music program directors in the Sand Hills area schools, as well as with the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County and with the Veterans Affairs Hospital volunteer service chief.
He used the opportunity to introduce the band and discuss future performance possibilities to include holding music clinics and master classes at area high schools and middle schools in the upcoming 2011-12 school year.
"Performing at schools and working with America's rising generation of musicians is an important part of the band's community outreach mission, a mission that we take very seriously," Ancelet said. "It provides a free, professional resource that's all the more valuable during these times of tight budgets, especially those of school arts programs."
The 64 Soldiers assigned to the band have passed highly selective auditions and are among the finest musicians in the United States Army Band Program. The majority of the band's members have studied music at some of the finest universities and conservatories.
"I am very pleased with how enthusiastic everyone I met on this visit and an earlier one has been that we are coming to Fort Bragg. I have lots of positives to take back to my Soldiers about what they have to look forward to when we arrive here," the band commander said.
"And, as we settle in, I hope to meet with more schools and community organizations to discuss ways that we can collaborate with them."
During his visit here, Maj. Ancelet also checked on the progress of the construction of the band's new training facility, which is proceeding on schedule.
The band will move here in June from Fort McPherson, Ga., with its parent unit, Army Forces Command, in compliance with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) legislation. It will be ready to take on musical missions beginning Aug. 1.
For more information on the band and how to request it for a performances and clinics, go to http://www.forscom.army.mil/band/.
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