Band's versatility garners fans, earns awards

Contact: Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office

July 18, 2014

What do John Philip Sousa, Van Halen, George Strait and Duke Ellington have in common?

Chances are good that the Wisconsin National Guard's 132nd Army Band has played their music.

Technically, the 43-member group is a concert band. But it is also a marching band, ceremonial band, jazz band, brass ensemble, saxophone group, woodwind quintet, rock band and country band.

"We can make lots of smaller groups," said Staff Sgt. Rebecca Kidd, a junior leader with the 132nd Army Band and a member of its music performance team After Action Rock. "We can cover multiple missions at the same time."

Many times, those missions are to engage the public as ambassadors of the Wisconsin National Guard and the U.S. military.

"Putting us into different musical ensembles appeals to different people's tastes in music," Kidd said.

Other missions include performing at unit sendoff and welcome home ceremonies, and performing for the governor's inauguration ceremonies at the state capitol building.

The Army's School of Music is directing the myriad Army bands to become more mobile, according to Sgt. 1st Class Elizabeth Wold - a senior leader with the 132nd Army Band and also a member of After Action Rock.

"Since Desert Shield/Desert Storm and with 9/11, they've gone down to smaller groups," Wold said. "A brass quintet can go and play for Soldiers. They've brought that down to our level as well, which makes us marketable."

Forming smaller music groups also allows band members to showcase their considerable musical talents.

"A majority of our groups are made of people who are playing secondary instruments or learning secondary instruments, which is highly promoted in the military," Wold continued. "I'm a horn player, too, but I'm playing percussion and a little bit of piano."

In the most recent Army Band Music Performance Team of the Year competition, the 132nd Army Band placed three groups in the top five - the only reserve component band to do so - and one in sixth place.

Forward Brass placed fourth in the Small Brass Music Ensemble category. Soldiers of Sax and Country Enough each placed fifth in the Small Woodwind Ensemble and Small Popular Music categories, respectively. After Action Rock placed sixth in the Large Popular Music Ensemble category.

"We were kind of in a rebuilding stage, but our first sergeant said they submitted our video from annual training [last year]," Wold said, adding that the large popular music category is a crowded field for competition. "We're going to do better next time."

"It's a good starting point," Kidd said.

The music performance teams play a role in concert band performances as well. The 132nd Army Band recently completed a tour of northern Wisconsin, playing several concerts in multiple communities. In Berlin, the concert featured the flute section, the concert band, the saxophone group and the jazz band.

"My favorite part is definitely seeing all the veterans stand, and getting the audience involved," said Sgt. Megan Koudelka, a flute and piccolo player with the 132nd Army Band. "Every single performance is different, and that's what's awesome about it."

Having the different ensembles perform also allows musicians to interact with the crowd during the concert.

"That's one of the best parts," Koudelka said. "Every crowd is different."

She recalled an earlier performance that, due to rain, was held in a city hall.

"We had people standing outside on the steps of the City Hall, just listening to our music," she said. "We had people singing, people dancing - those are the moments that touch you and make you never want to leave the band."

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