Q&A with The National Concert Band of America

The National Concert Band of America will perform at on Sunday, June 26 as part of the Spotlight by Starlight summer concert series.

The band was organized in 1973 by members who had retired from the major service bands in Washington, D.C. and its membership still includes many retired and a few active-duty service members. The band's director, Melvin Paul Kessler, first joined the Navy Band as a trumpet player, and then became a band officer. Before his retirement from the Navy, he conducted the band at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. 

Learn more about tonight’s performance in this Q&A with piccolo and flute player Penny Carson, who has been playing with the National Concert Band since 1976. 

What songs will the band perform tomorrow?

Our program will include some well-known pieces such as the Holst Second Suite for Band and Shostakovich's Festive Overture, as well as newer concert band pieces the lively "American Barndance" by Richard Saucedo. We will also play a medley of Four Seasons songs from the show, "Jersey Boys." We always play a march or two, and will as always include a medley of the service songs called "American Forces on Parade."

Has the band performed at the Spotlight by Starlight series before? What has that experience been like?

We have played at the Spotlight by Starlight for several summers at Mason District Park, and have always enjoyed performing there. We do, however, always remember to bring our "buggie spray," but otherwise performing there has always been a positive experience. The audience members are always so enthusiastic that it's fun to play there.

How has the band’s repertoire changed over the years? What genres or styles does the band focus on today? 

The band's repertoire has expanded to include some music by younger composers for band, such as Frank Ticheli and Eric Ewazen, as well as Richard Saucedo (mentioned above). But the band's motto is, "A band that plays BAND MUSIC," and will always continue to include many of the classic pieces associated with the American band tradition that the Band works to continue. We like to play a wide variety of pieces including old concert overtures such as Light Cavalry, solos featuring band members, Broadway show tunes, and good film music, as well as traditional marches by American and foreign composers.

Is there a strong sense of community among the band members given their connection to the military? How has that affected the band’s stage presence and musicianship?

The experience many of us had in military service bands has given us a sense of camaraderie, and an appreciation for the music that we play. We're in this group to have fun ourselves and to give our audience members a chance to enjoy themselves too. As we play our service song medley, we invite former members of the military to stand, as do our members who served; this is a very popular way of paying our respects to them. But it's not necessary to be a former military member to enjoy our concerts.

Who would you recommend tomorrow's concert to? Do you think that the band has a sound that any music lover can enjoy or is it more of an acquired taste?

I would certainly recommend our concert to anyone who enjoys music. We present such a wide variety of types of music that there is certainly something to please anyone. We especially enjoy seeing children come to our concerts. It can make a good impression on kids taking music lessons to see music presented by people on the stage instead of coming out of microphones or earbuds. And somewhere there might be a kid who says, "Hey - a bit more practice and maybe I can do that!" That would be very satisfying to us.

Outdoor lawn concert; cancelled by 3:30 p.m. day of the show if inclement weather. Click here for more information on The National Concert Band of America. 

Sunday, June 26, 7:30 p.m.; Free
6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA; (703) 324-SHOW