Plymouth Meeting Native Pacchiarotti Performs Across Globe with US Naval Band

As night falls in Edinburgh, Scotland tonight, nearly 9,000 people will climb up a massive geologic structure known as "Castle Rock," carved by millions of years of glacial activity, and approach the dark and brooding Edinburgh Castle.

There, they will take their seats, the lights will dim, and the annual Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo will begin: 1,000 musicians from around the world will file onto the castle's esplanade and perform pieces from their respective cultures. And somewhere amongst it all will be Plymouth Meeting native Andrew Pacchiarotti, trombone blaring, along with the rest of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe Band.

"It's been a really cool experience so far," says E-6 Musician Pacchiarotti, 33. "There are 8,800 seats in the stands and they've been filled every single show. It's a huge thing in Edinburgh-- everybody always talks about how they can't wait to go to the Tattoo."

Pacchiarotti has performed nearly every day in the show, which runs August 3-25. The Tattoo's history stretches back to 1950, and each year brings a larger audience and new theme to performance. This year's Tattoo, which celebrates Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee and retells Scotland's history, from Pictish barbarians to the digital age, is expected to draw 220,000 spectators and be watched on TV by more than 100 million people around the globe.

Pacchiarotti's visit marks a special occasion; it's the first time that a U.S. Navy Band has performed in the prestigious event. Other guests include military and civilian bands from Australia, Switzerland, Great Britain, Norway, Canada and South Africa. The 1997 Plymouth-Whitemarsh graduate says he's been impressed with the quality of the performance.

"When we're performing, the castle is behind us and they give a lot of lights and effects off the castle-- shoot fireworks off it and even put musicians up there to play a little bit too," Pacchiarotti says. "The last half hour of the show is actually a mass band formation, so all the musicians get together on the parade ground and play a bunch of music."

Pacchiarotti arrived in Edinburgh four days before the opening of the festival to begin rehearsals. Since then, he's had to perform nearly every day, but says that there's been plenty of time to get out and see the historic city, Scotland's capital.

"It's a great city, and pretty big, but very easy to get around," Pacchiarotti says. "It's very scenic, the buildings are all old and historic, and there's always a comedy show or band playing."

It's hardly the first foreign location Pacchiarotti has been able to explore. After graduating from Penn State in 2001, Pacchiarotti tried out for and enlisted in the Navy as a musician, and has been playing around the globe since. Duties have taken him throughout Asia, Europe, and Africa, playing for American embassies and native populations in countries such as Sierra Leone, Gabon, Senegal, Romania, Nigeria, and Azerbaijan.

Asked about what the most rewarding part of his service is, Pacchiarotti quickly says it's about making connections with people in far off places.

"I've been to a lot of countries in Africa and when we play for the people they just love us so much," Pacchiarotti says. "You can see the happiness on their face while we're performing, and so getting to play for people like that has been a wonderful experience."

However, Pacchiarotti says he still has plenty of connections to southeast Pennsylvania. His parents reside in Plymouth Meeting and a sister and various cousins are sprinkled throughout Conshohocken and Philadelphia. Asked what the people back home can do to support the military, Pacchiarotti says he hopes the public will continue to help those whose lives have been negatively affected by war.

"There are a ton of military charities for wounded veterans or for the widows of veterans,” Pacchiarotti says. “I think it's very important that our veterans who are returning from war or have been serving for a long time get the support and help that they need."

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