The American Bandmasters Association and the United States Marine Band invite you to perform virtually with the Marine Band!
On Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at 1 p.m. (EDT) participate in a special Sousa event with Colonel Jason K. Fettig of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band.
With everyone joining online, Col. Fettig will conduct a performance of John Philip Sousa’s marches “The Thunderer” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”
This free event is open to anyone and will take place on youtube.com/usmarineband.
After the online play along, students through 12th grade are invited to submit a video of themselves performing “The Stars and Stripes Forever” for a worldwide collage performance that will be assembled and debuted on July 4th!
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How to join the Play-Along Concert
- Wednesday, May 27 at 1 p.m. (EDT)—Rehearse and play along with Colonel Jason K. Fettig and the U.S. Marine Band (Event will last approximately 15 minutes)
- All ages and skill levels invited to participate in the play along!
- Download your part to “The Stars and Stripes Forever”
- Click on “DOWNLOAD FULL SCORE AND PARTS.”
- Scroll down to the part you wish to play, counting ALL pages including the title pages. Print your part. Be sure to select print for only the pages you need.
- Download your part to “The Thunderer”
- Practice along with the Marine Band recordings:
- On May 27 at 1 p.m. (EDT) join fellow musicians from around the world in performing with the United States Marine Band under the direction of the Marine Band Director.
Submitting a Video for the Stars and Stripes Project
- Students through 12th grade are invited to submit a video of themselves performing “The Stars and Stripes Forever” which will be released in a collage video format on July 4. (Participation in the play along is not required to submit a video; depending on the volume of entries, not all videos may be featured, but as many as possible will be included.)
- For sheet music, follow steps above. Choose the part you normally play at school.
- June 1—Video submissions for “The Stars and Stripes Forever” due by midnight EDT
- July 4—“The Stars and Stripes Forever” collage video will be released by ABA and the U.S. Marine Band
You need TWO devices:
- A Playback Device to listen to/play along with the Marine Band. Plug your headphones into this device.
- A Recording Device to record your video and audio (phone, tablet, computer). Tip: The sound quality is better when using a USB mic or audio interface/mic combo. However, if this is not available, the device microphone is acceptable.
Tips for your recording:
- Place your device on a solid surface in landscape mode (wide shot).
- Ensure you are well-framed in the video, we can see you playing your instrument, and we can see your head.
- Ensure your lighting is good and music stand is out of the frame.
- Ensure you are in a quiet space with no background noise.
- Ensure the background is appropriate. This is a military/ Department of Defense collaboration and any videos with inappropriate material will not be included in the final project.
Recording Your Performance:
- Start recording on your recording device.
- Start the reference recording on your playback device.
- Follow the recording, starting after the four prep clicks.
- Play your part all the way through. (Feel free to do this as many times as you need until you’re satisfied!)
- Upload the video of your best performance at FULL resolution, corresponding to your part.
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