I decided to major in music after making New Jersey All State Band, and thought that if I could make this band, I might have a chance at making a career in music. The thought of not having music as a major part of my life after graduating high school was unthinkable!

With some wise advice from my mother, I completed a degree in music education to provide a ‘fall back’ just in case I couldn’t find a job playing professionally. However, a couple of my flute teachers had played in the West Point Band and I got the idea that I too could make a career in one of the premier bands in Washington, DC. So it was that 5 days after graduation in 1977, I was on my way to basic training at Ft. McClellan in Anniston, Alabama after having won a job with the US Army Field Band.

The US Army Field Band is the official touring band for the Department of the Army in Washington, DC, and has the mission to assist the Army in maintaining and fostering a positive image of the military, good community relations and promote patriotism. I feel really fortunate to have been able to serve my country in the best way I know how as their solo piccoloist. The Field Band spends about 100-120 days a year on the road presenting free concerts to the general public as well as clinics and recitals in schools. At home, the Band rehearses for upcoming tours, performs concerts, has an extensive chamber music recital series, produces CDs and has participated in several Inaugural Parades.  After travelling to Hawaii in September of 1995 for World War II commemorative ceremonies and parades, I can say that I have been to all 50 States, and Puerto Rico!

As with flute, I was a late bloomer on piccolo and, though I had played some piccolo in high school and college, it wasn't until I got into the Band that I became a piccolo specialist. I was featured as a soloist on numerous major tours in the U.S. and abroad, an opportunity I don't think I could ever have got anywhere else: since June of 1979, I played the solo in the Stars and Stripes Forever over 3,000 times (and never tired of it!); in 1985, Dance of the Southern Lights for piccolo solo and band was written for me by Staff Arranger MSG Eric Richards( I performed this for the Band's 40th Anniversary concert at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, the Midwest Band Clinic in Chicago, and on tours through Japan, Korea, Germany and India); and in 2002, Eric wrote another original composition for me titled Dos Danzas Latinas which was premiered at the National Flute Association’s annual convention in Washington, DC in 2002.

Representing our country abroad has been particularly exciting, and I have had the opportunity to experience many places I may never have ever seen on my own. There's something very special about being able to communicate with people who do not speak our language, and to foster good will between nations in a peaceful manner. In 1984, we were a part of the 40th Anniversary Commemoration of the D-Day invasion at Normandy Beach during a European tour that included the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany; 1987 saw us travel to Korea, Japan and Okinawa, and then to play for Berlin's 700th birthday in the Berlin Philharmonic Hall (one of the world's great concert halls); and 1989 took us to India for the International Industrial Trade Fair, where we played for the U.S. Ambassador to India as well as Rajiv Ghandi. The list goes on….

One particularly meaningful trip was again to England, Belgium, and Luxembourg to participate in D-Day 50th Anniversary Commemorations. My father was a medic in 1st Army during the Battle of the Bulge. I felt as though I was following his footsteps and gained a real appreciation for what he went through, even though he was reluctant to talk about it until about a year before he died. Other highlight concerts include the American Band Masters Association Conventions, Music Educator's National Conventions, the 200th Anniversary of the Signing of the Constitution at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, joint concerts with the Cincinnati and Detroit Symphonies and the Boston Pops, and the closing concert for the National Flute Convention in Washington, DC in 2002. As above, the list of fantastic opportunities just goes on and on!

As a result of ever rising musical standards, more involvement with educational outreach, and performances at prestigious conventions, the Field Band as well as the other four premier bands in Washington, the West Point Band and the Coast Guard Band in New London, CT.,  have all gained a great deal of respect in the music world, so competition to get into these bands is quite fierce. Openings are advertised in the International Musician and at universities, and the Field Band requires a preliminary recording and resume before an invitation to a live audition is offered. If invited, the candidate is sent a list of band excerpts and solo piece to prepare. They also must pass a physical and entrance exam. The  semi-final round takes place behind a screen to assure anonymity while the final round is open and includes an interview. If you are successful, all bands except for the President’s Own Marine Band require basic training…

Since retiring from the Band in 2003 after 26 years of service, I am able to reflect on whether my military service has enhanced or hindered my intended professional music career. Let me put it this way – since ‘retiring’, I have been active as a guest artist/clinician at flute festivals, and university/community bands around the US, have toured once a year with the International Flute Orchestra, am freelancing around the Washington DC area playing in pit orchestras, subbing with local symphonies and recording pre-published band music with the Washington Winds, and have released 3 CDs of music for piccolo and piano. I think the answer is self evident, and I am most grateful to have had enjoyed a career where I am able to do what I love best.

(To learn more about the US Army Field Band please visit www.fieldband.army.mil)

Nan Raphael was solo piccoloist with the U.S. Army Field Band from 1979 to 2003 and was a featured soloist with the Band on several major tours in the U.S. and abroad. Nan is currently active as a clinician, guest soloist nationwide and recording artist with the Washington Wind, and has a strong interest in promoting the piccolo as a solo instrument. www.nanraphael.com