European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                R cover Story Paul Weathers with  tune from the cover Heidelberg Germany. A if they Sec them in civilian clothes on a monday they say a wow what a  what they done to always recognize is that they be worked maybe every night the week before. They work saturdays and sundays and they work regularly on  the Job involves More than simply playing and polishing their instruments too. The Soldier musicians have to regularly set aside their saxophones and flutes to pick up m-16 rifles and chemical gear. One member of the band nicknamed the Quot cinch a own says the groups rank As the commanders own might not have its privileges. A i think we do a Little bit More than other bands As far As the military Side Here a says staff sgt. Mary Stocker a French Horn player who has. Been in the army six years. A the Gen. Crostic Saint expects his troops shipshape. Its been hectic to train and perform and still be  a clarinet St 1st sgt. J. Louis Hortobagyi says he has done More soldiering in his year and a half in the Usa eur band than in his previous 18 years in the army. A a a playing is almost a it sometimes seems like it s an extra a something we do because we have nothing else to do Quot says sgt. Paul Weathers who along with playing trombone serves As the bands retention  operation desert storm when fellow Bondsmen from the 84lh army band in Stuttgart 1st army Day band in Ansbach and 3rd army div band in Frankfurt were sent to the persian Gulf to encourage troops the Usa eur band and chorus pulled guard duly Back in Heidelberg. = the army has eight bands in Europe including the cinch a. Which As a major command band requires members to play at a higher skill level. The air Force in Europe has one band located at Ein Siedler Hof air station in Kaiserslautern. The Navy in Europe has the 6th Fleet band in Naples Italy. All of the bands break Down into smaller groups that play specially music such As jazz big band or country. Overall the army has 52 bands the marines 13, the Navy 17 and the air Force 30.s&s photos by Lynda Davidson each service has showpiece bands called Premier bands which require members to perform at the highest skill level. In the Case of the army these arc located at the . Military Academy at West Point n.y., the army band in Washington and the army Field band at fort Meade my. A a the oldest of the Premier bands is the Marine band in Washington considered the a president s own Competition to get into one of the Premier bands is fierce say musicians in the Usa eur band which As one of a handful of major command bands comes next behind the Premier. Bands in prestige. A a it a very very competitive a says sgt. Nicholas Compagno a clarinet St. A players usually stay in for 20 years and they stay at that band. Its almost like a symphony orchestra getting in. When somebody leaves then everybody Hocks to that  ability is the single criterion to getting in to one of the elite groups says Compagno who has a doctorate in music. Members of the Usa eur chorus arc not musicians by Job specially but instead they come from numerous career Fields from Cook to infantryman Sci Rick says. Those who fare Well in auditions and can be released from their units sing and dance with the chorus for one or two years. Overall the Usa eur band is a highly educated Bunch with some holding More degrees than stripes. Most members of the band the largest outside the United states have some College education. Nearly half of the 63 enlisted musicians hold bachelors degrees and five have masters de graces. The bands two officers have doctorate and masters degrees. In addition army Navy and Marine musicians attend the school of music in Norfolk a. The trained and talented musicians cite several reasons for choosing to suit up in Green one of which is the army a College loan repayment program. Trombonist Weathers had a $10,000 loan hanging Over him when he graduated with a music degree from the University of Lowell in Massachusetts a Stocker was looking at a $7,000 debt after Fin Ishing atthe University of Florida. Compagno  say exactly How much his school Bill was when he went to Sec the army Recruiter. A it goes into the  Compagno says. Although just one hitch erased the musicians debts each re enlisted. A i enjoy playing music a Weathers says. A that s what i majored in in College and i always wanted to be a musician. Being a musician in the army is a Nice Job. It s  you might Call it a steady gig. Maybe even too steady. The Usa eur band and its Small pm Zembles played More than 600 engagements during fiscal 1990. A a musicians lot in the civilian world can be very unsteady a work when work is there Quot says Dmitrick who played the tuba like euphonium for 19 years before switching to the lighter conductors Baton. A but the military provides a very steady cm-1continued on Page 5 Marcos Mercado Bangs the xylophone. Ruth Ann Bastone Debiasi contributes the Piccolo sound to Europe Stop army Bandage 4 a sunday july 14, 1991