B.D.F., National Youth Orchestra get a few notes from National Guard
The National Guard Reserves from Louisiana is back in the jewel to work along with fifteen youths from the Belize Defence Force band and the National Youth Orchestra. The team of eight arrived earlier this week and at the close of the training, they will be joining the B.D.F. at the official ceremonies in Belmopan on Independence Day. News Five’s Jose Sanchez was with the reserves during training today and has this report.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
A military may go into foreign waters with weapons of mass destruction, but the U.S. National Guard Reserves from Louisiana, have brought instruments of sweet harmonization.
Wade Furniss, Chief Warrant Officer 2, Louisana National Guard
Wade Furniss
“We’re here on a state mission to come and build our connection with Belize. We have a state partnership with Belize and this is our fourth time to come down and actually work the B.D.F. Band. We are here to again rekindle our relationships and build on what we have built on in the past. And to also hopeful; like we are here today working with the young national orchestra and we are working with them to help improve and give some techniques that we know from states to help them learn. And the universal language of music; we just wanna help them to learn.”
According to B.D.F. Staff Sergeant Kevin Campbell, both the B.D.F. Band and the National Youth Orchestra will benefit from the collaboration.
Kevin Campbell
Staff Sgt. Kevin Campbell, Grandmaster, B.D.F. Band
“They rotate every three to four years; at least if we get closer to home, the bands exchange stuff. We look forward to having them here—we gather on the technical skills. During this time is the band’s busiest season of the yea; the September celebrations. so we welcome when they get the chance to come here and augment the band and the Belize Defense Force.”
Zane Gray, Member, National Youth Orchestra
“Today, the technique that they are teaching us is basically to help us with pitch control and different techniques to improve our ambush and things like that to make us sound more like people who know what they are doing because in the past, I’ve had some bad techniques that I’ve been practicing so far. So this is simply to correct those minor problems and basically overall improvement for the band.”
Jose Sanchez
“So far you’ve been enjoying it. And the experience working along with the B.D.F. and the U.S. Army; how has it been?”
Zane Gray
“A lot of fun; serious fun though. You learn that you have to pull your weight. If you noh push it, you noh get no way.”
Zane Gray started his relationship with music in primary school and now that connection is becoming more mature.
Zane Gray
“This instrument is a trumpet, my principal instrument for now. I’ve been playing it since third form at Wesley College—this will make it about five years now. It basically has simple parts, valves, mouth piece, bell and some slides. It requires technique and these techniques that you practice, improves the sound that you get out of it. You might see a lot of people around town playing it especially in Be the Next Superstar. And if you listen to us and those guys play, you would hear a difference in the techniques that we use.”
Wade Furniss
“We’ve brought our instruments that we play; we are an army band and that is our mission back in the United States. So we brought in two trumpet players, a trombone player and a percussionist and some saxophone players. We brought eight individuals with us and today we are working with about fifteen young youths and then of course we will be working with the B.D.F. Band as well. And so hopefully we will be able to touch the lives of them and the B.D.F., partnership with them for national Independence Day celebration and people will be able to see the partnership that we have with the Belize Defense Force Band.”
Jose Sanchez
“What national music will you be playing at our Independence Celebrations in conjunction with the U.S. National Reserve?”
Staff Sgt. Kevin Campbell
“The Belize National Anthem is first; that will be featured. We have Belize by the Sea, I Vow to thee My Country, our national marches that we have under the double eagle—all the patriotic stuff. The Queen of the Bay; all the patriotic music that we have in our repertoire we will be performing at the flag-raising ceremony and the national ceremonies in Belmopan.”
Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
The Louisiana National Guard winds up its visit to Belize on Sunday.
