June 18, 2007
Bowling
Green, Ky. - A tradition of excellence began in 1947 when the 202nd Kentucky Army National Guard
Band was organized in Lexington. During the first two weeks in July, the 42-member unit will celebrate its 60th anniversary with a concert tour that includes a performance in Bowling Green.
The band, which includes a Western Kentucky University faculty member and three alumni, will perform with the Southern Kentucky Concert Band on July 5. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. at Basil Griffin Park.
WKU geography instructor Scott Dobler, who joined the band in 1985, plays tuba, trombone, euphonium and banjo. The group includes WKU alumni Ralph Miller on French horn, Dale McGuffin on percussion and Angela Wilkins on clarinet.
“The band has an exciting and unique story,” said CW3 Greg Stepp, the unit’s commander. “We began in Lexington, Ky., in 1947 with 24 members but we were relocated to Ashland, Ky., until the early 1970s when our unit was moved to Louisville and then, ultimately, to Frankfort in the mid-1970s where we grew to over 40 musicians.”
The 202nd Kentucky Army National Guard Band has several ensembles including a concert band, jazz band, woodwind quintet and rock band. The tour includes a 60th anniversary concert July 9 in Ashland. Other stops on the tour include Hanson, Madisonville, Powderly, Henderson, Jeffersonville, Ind., Prestonsburg and Pikeville.
“Providing exemplary music for the United States military, the Kentucky National Guard, and for the people of Kentucky -- that’s our job,” Stepp said. “In many ways we serve in a public relations capacity to foster a positive image of the Guard and to support recruitment and retention. We also perform with other military bands; in 2006 we went to the Hawaiian Islands for two weeks of concerts and military ceremonies with the 25th Infantry Division ‘Tropic Lightening’ Band.”
The 202nd Band has been called upon many times to perform outside the state for special training assignments. Unit musicians have given concerts in Hawaii, Michigan, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, West Virginia and Virginia. In November 1994, as guests of the Chilean government, the band spent two weeks in Santiago, the capital city of Chile, playing concerts for the public and performing for the United States Ambassador to Chile. Upcoming trips include a two week tour of duty at Fort Monroe, Va., in the Washington, D.C., area in 2008.
A perennial favorite at Danville’s “Great American Brass Band Festival,” gubernatorial inaugural parades, and a frequent guest at festivals, parades and community concerts across Kentucky, the group is constantly seeking talented young musicians who want to serve their state and their nation. “A high school or college musician could not find a better group of people to share their talents with,” said unit 1st Sgt. Sharon R. Cates. “It’s really a wonderful opportunity for a young woman or man to have their education paid for, while doing something for their country.”
Members of the 202nd come from all walks of life and include teachers, computer specialists, college professors, professional musicians, and full-time college students. Performers have released solo albums and play with such well known groups as the Louisville-based “Crossgate Woodwind Ensemble.” The 202nd band is seeking recruits and welcomes inquiries from interested musicians.
“I hope every time that we finish a concert that we’ve touched someone’s life, made them remember a special moment, and encouraged pride and patriotism,” Stepp said. “That’s what this is all about and we love doing it.”
The 202nd is a part of the 751st Troop Command, based in Ft. Knox, under the command of Lt. Col. Pope. For more information about the 202nd Kentucky Army National Guard band, its 2007 summer tour schedule or recruitment opportunities, contact SSG Alan Robinson, 202nd KANG, Unit Readiness NCO at (502) 607-5331 or Richard.a.robinson2@us.army.mil
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For information, contact Scott Dobler at (270) 745-7078 or Gregg Stepp at (502) 607-5331.
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