Baritone vocalist and concert moderator Master Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Bennear joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in January 2000, becoming the third featured vocal soloist since the position was established in 1955. He will solo on every single Marine Band tour concert; therefore he has collaborated with Col. Jason K. Fettig to select three different works to perform on the road. Bennear Biography

Pride of a People was arranged by former Marine Band arranger Stephen Bulla, revising it to the current version for the 2001 concert tour. This patriotic medley weaves together three songs that have become an integral part of American culture: “This is My Country,” “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” and “My Country ‘tis of Thee.”

“This medley is very special to me,” Bennear said. “We took it on tour in the fall right after September 11. It was a very emotional time, obviously. So to sing this patriotic medley when we were all hurting and all very raw from those events—we had these songs to sing together and come together as we tried to heal and make sense of it all.”

Lerner & Loewe Songbook was arranged by former Marine Band arranger Stephen Bulla and includes three songs that Bennear loves: “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady, “They Call the Wind Maria” from Paint Your Wagon, and “If Ever I Would Leave You” from Camelot. When Bennear was in his teens, he sang “On the Street Where You Live” and was paid $10, making it his first “paying gig.”

“I love ‘They Call the Wind Maria’ because of the rough and tough western feel to it. It was in a movie starring Clint Eastwood so to see those tough guys singing – it was just so cool to me,” Bennear admitted. “And I sang ‘If Ever I Would Leave You’ at an event for my grandmother. She loved the stage production of Camelot and Robert Goulet who debuted the part of Lancelot. So each piece of this Songbook has a special place in my heart.”

Bennear will perform another “songbook” on tour: The Great American Songbook newly-arranged by Staff Sgt. Scott Ninmer. This jazz-inspired selection is a tribute to American crooners and combines popular song genres of pop, jazz, and show tunes in a nostalgic mix of “You Make Me Feel So Young,” popularized by Frank Sinatra; “Night and Day,” written by Cole Porter; “Where or When,” a show tune from the 1937 musical, Babes in Arms; and “Mack the Knife,” famously recorded by Bobby Darin in 1958.

“This is a beautiful part of the country,” Bennear said. “I love meeting the people and seeing the audiences in the gymnasiums – they’re sitting right there with us. You have a moment with them and it’s really special.”

MGySgt Bennear Speaks about Soloing on Tour

Saxophonist Staff Sgt. Rachel Perry joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in May 2014. Perry will perform Claude T. Smith’s Fantasia for Alto Saxophone in the following cities: Lancaster, Penn.; Rochester, N.Y.; Binghamton, N.Y.; Manchester, Conn.; Worcester, Mass.; Northfield, Vt.; New London, Conn.; East Brunswick, N.J.; and Wilmington, Del. Perry biography

Perry came across a video of this piece on YouTube and purchased a copy of it a few years ago.

“It’s very technically challenging – a good workout for the fingers. It also showcases the altissimo range of the saxophone and also has rapid sixteenth note passages and fast articulations; it’s a real crowd pleaser,” she said.

Perry is from upstate New York and attended Eastman School of Music in Rochester, so she’s looking forward to having her parents, brother, and lots of family and friends in the audience.

Perry Speaks about Soloing on Tour

Clarinetist Staff Sgt. Kristin Bowers joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in May 2017. Bowers will perform George Gershwin’s Three Preludes in the following cities: State College, Penn.; Fredonia, N.Y.; Hopewell Junction, N.Y.; New York; Springfield, Mass.; Topsham, Maine; Concord, N.H.; Ridgefield, Conn.; and Harrisburg, Penn.  Bowers biography

While the piece was originally for piano, “it’s a really fun piece and works really well for clarinet and band,” Bowers said. “This piece fits everything that I love about clarinet. I don’t consider myself a jazz musician, but I love playing that style. I love playing glissandos and letting it get crazy and wild and pushing the limits of what I’m classically trained to do. I love to sing out and play for fun while pushing the boundaries of classical music. It includes slow, sultry melodies along with high wild runs and really smooth playing with some blue notes and scoops – it’s just a really awesome way to mesh classical and jazz playing together.”

On playing in Carnegie Hall, Bowers said, “There’s something really cool about seeing your poster outside on the day of the concert and stepping onto the stage there – there’s nothing like it. To be there with the Marine Band is a total dream. When you’re playing at one level, the band pushes you to the next level. When you have such stellar musicians playing the accompaniment, it pushes you to play even better. I think it’s going to be really fun. I can’t wait!”

On this tour, Bowers will see extended family and friends including her former clarinet teacher Steve Cohen from Northwestern University of Evanston, Ill., “a really big influence and supporter while I was a student and beyond.”

Bowers Speaks about Soloing on Tour

Master Gunnery Sgt. Hilary Harding joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in May 2003 and Master Gunnery Sgt. Mark Jenkins joined in July 2002. They will perform Anthony DiLorenzo’s “Gemini” from Zodiac Concerto in the following cities: Erie, Penn.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Clifton, N.J.; Providence, R.I.; Boston; Amherst, Mass.; Rockaway, N.J.; Sewell, N.J.; and Philadelphia. Harding biography | Jenkins biography

DiLorenzo’s composition evokes the adventures of the Gemini twins Pollux and Castor, sons of Zeus in Greek mythology. Jenkins learned about the exciting piece for euphonium and French horn several years ago from a good friend and floated the idea to perform the piece with Harding.

“The French horn has a lot more double tonguing and technical passages,” Jenkins explained. “It’s a flashy piece and you can hear the influence of John Williams and Gustav Holst; there’s even a film music vibe. The audience will love how flashy it is and the two fast sections on either side of a beautiful slow melodic section. It’s like an action movie – it’s got it all and you walk out feeling good.”

Harding/Jenkins Speak about Soloing on Tour