Air Force Band Recruits 36 Students For Tonight’s Concert

When the 560th Air National Guard Band marches into the Music Building at Spokane Falls Community College for a free concert tonight, it will have a little help from some new friends.

The 35-piece Air Force band will be joined by 36 high school students from Eastern Washington and North Idaho.

North Central High School junior Stacey Hawkett, who plays the flute, isn’t at all nervous about stepping in with the reputable band.

“There’s going to be a lot of good musicians there,” says Hawkett. “I’m sure it’ll be really easy to pick up stuff playing with those guys.”

This marks the second year that the band - started as a way to lend musical support to the 141st Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base and boost Air Force recruiting and various community relations programs - has invited local students to perform with it.

“We’re trying to encourage more of the local students to be exposed not just to the Air National Guard Band but to the Air National Guard, since the 141st is quite a big unit out here,” says Tech. Sgt. Teresa Vance, who plays clarinet, piano and even a little percussion for the unit.

“We’re not just performing this for recruiting for the band, although the exposure is the best part. But we want folks to know that the Guard is out here and that that’s an option for them, too.”

Playing with the band, however, doesn’t mean the kids have to enlist - although following last year’s performance, the 560th Air National Guard Band ended up with two new recruits.

Sunday’s program will be divided into two parts, half featuring the Air National Guard marching band and the other half a performance by the band’s jazz combo.

The students will join the band on about half of the pieces during the 105-minute concert. The combined pieces include “Lauds” by Ron Nelson, “Nobles of the Mystic Shrine” by John Phillip Sousa, “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “God Bless The USA.”

On its own, the 560th Air National Guard Band will churn out “Treasure State Festival Overture” and “Stars and Stripes Forever” and several other tunes.

There’s little doubt the students, coming from as far away as Sandpoint and Ephrata, will have to shoulder a lot of pressure with this concert. They only had one day, Saturday, to rehearse with the National Guard band and learn the entire program.

“There’s a certain amount of stress for them,” says Vance. “These are not easy pieces at all. I can vouch for that.”

Hawkett and six other North Central band members will be performing today. For Hawkett, the selection process for the concert was fairly painless.

“Mr. Loupe (Collins Loupe, NC band director) told us that we could sign up and that he would pick some of us,” she recalls. “So we signed up.”

So does the flautist plan to enlist in the military when she graduates from high school next year?

“Um, no.”

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MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CONCERT The 560th Air National Guard Band will perform with area high school students tonight at 8 at Spokane Falls Community College’s Music Building. Free.