Air Force Band Flash Mob at National Air and Space Museum

[Oldgrunt]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=365&v=gu53onuBOXw

I was listening to You Tube music this evening and ran across videos of different military bands performing flash mob performances. I was pleasantly surprised to find this video of a U.S. Air Force band flash mob and enjoyed it greatly, even though this is not the season for their music selection. Considering all the hoopla being made by Mikey Weinstein, and not associating anything of a religious nature to the military, I can't help but wonder if he had one of his hissy fits and wanted those band members court martialed for their performance. Personally, I think the performance was great and more in line with our country's thoughts over the years. I don't know if anything has been done to preclude a repeat performance of an activity such as this but I sincerely hope we can continue to show that the military is an extension of our nation and that we will continue to honor them, even if our government doesn't.

 

[BluesStringer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=365&v=gu53onuBOXw

I was listening to You Tube music this evening and ran across videos of different military bands performing flash mob performances. I was pleasantly surprised to find this video of a U.S. Air Force band flash mob and enjoyed it greatly, even though this is not the season for their music selection. Considering all the hoopla being made by Mikey Weinstein, and not associating anything of a religious nature to the military, I can't help but wonder if he had one of his hissy fits and wanted those band members court martialed for their performance. Personally, I think the performance was great and more in line with our country's thoughts over the years. I don't know if anything has been done to preclude a repeat performance of an activity such as this but I sincerely hope we can continue to show that the military is an extension of our nation and that we will continue to honor them, even if our government doesn't.

Whenever I see flashmob music videos, with all the people first looking bewildered, and then breaking into big, wide, literally uncontrollable smiles, I am reminded of an interview I first heard with Duane Allman shortly after seeing the Allman Brothers Band at the Whisky A-Go-Go in Hollywood in 1970. When the interviewer commented on Duane's previous utterance by saying, "You mentioned 'entertainer.' It's all a matter of the communication, rather than a guy standing over here making other people feel differently," Duane's reply was the foundation for everything I ever hoped to accomplish, or even thought about, as a musician from that point forward. He said, in part:

It's sort of like a different means of communication, man. Sometimes you can have things to say, but you can find no words for them--and I'm sure everybody gets caught in that position--or there's a feeling inside you that there are no words to explain. You can say "heartbreak" or "jubilation," but you can also set it up in music to make people actually feel it without ever saying anything about it. That's the grace of music; that's the blessing. You know, there's a lot of different forms of communication, but that's one of the absolute purest ones, man. You can't hurt anybody with music. You can maybe offend somebody with songs and words, but you can't offend anybody with music--it's just all good. There's nothing at all that could ever be bad about music, about playing it. It's a wonderful thing, man. It's a grace.​

I seriously doubt that every musician in that Air Force Band is/was a Christian, or that the words to Joy To the World are meaningful to them in any way. It's for darn certain that that was true for some, maybe many, members of the impromptu audience. But the music touched them all no less because of it, whether player or listener, there was beautiful communication going on, even in one of the most divided and rancorous cities in America, Washington D.C.

Thanks Grunt. That was a nice way to start this stormy Sunday mornin'. How are the trees faring in your yard/neighborhood? After just getting done cleaning up from the last storm that knocked several trees down here, I've got another (at least) week's worth of storm-fall to process and burn already this morning. Trees and parts of trees everywhere. But it's still a beautiful day partly thanks to this thread. Thanks Brother. Take care and God Bless.

Blues