Sgt. 1st Class Larry Tilby plays the string bass during practice at Tompkins Barracks in Schwetzingen, Germany, on Thursday. (Jessica Inigo / S&S)
Sgt. 1st Class Larry Tilby plays the string bass during practice at Tompkins Barracks in Schwetzingen, Germany, on Thursday. (Jessica Inigo / S&S)
Spc. Stephen Schultz, a percussionist with the USAREUR band, plays a tune on the metal xylophone during rehearsal for the the spring concert, "Sounds of Liberty" practice on Tompkins Barracks on Thursday. (Jessica Inigo / S&S)
Jennifer Piazza-Pick, a soprano singer and wife of a band member, practices with the U.S. Army Europe Band during rehearsal on Thursday. (Jessica Inigo / S&S)
SCHWETZINGEN, Germany — The U.S. Army Europe Band is hitting the road for its spring concert series called “Sounds of Liberty.”
Beginning April 1, these sounds will ring across four eastern European countries that are also new NATO members.
The concert will concentrate mainly on American tunes, such as the music of Glenn Miller and Elvis Presley, but will also have a couple of European classics sprinkled in for good measure, according to Lt. Col. Thomas H. Palmatier, USAREUR Band commander.
“The classical tunes showcase the wonderfully gifted musicians we have in our Army. Plus, that tends to surprise them. People think Americans only play jazz and rock ‘n’ roll,” Palmatier said just after band practice Thursday afternoon on Tompkins Barracks in Schwetzingen.
He said the “Sounds of Liberty” concert would not only entertain listeners, but also help to demonstrate democracy to new NATO countries.
Percussionist Spc. Stephen Schultz said he’s looking forward to the Eastern Europe tour, which is a new location for the band.
“We’re going to a lot of great places. We’re playing some things that are familiar, that we’ve played before, and other pieces that are completely new,” said Schultz, who has been practicing for the tour for about a week.
Highlights of the band’s repertoire include songs by soprano Jennifer Piazza-Pick, who is also the wife of a band member; a major piece by Philip Sparke, a British composer; and a variety of popular songs, including pieces with song and dance.
The bus will roll out of Germany after a performance in Plankstadt, a city between Heidelberg and Schwetzingen, before embarking on the 4,000-mile trip.
First the band will play in several cities in Poland, which is a major NATO ally, Palmatier said. Then it is going to Belarus, followed by stops in Latvia and Lithuania, two supporters on the global war on terrorism, he said.
“I think that this really gives a good demonstration of how Army bands can be a very instrumental tool at the strategic level,” Palmatier said. “The president and the American people are currently part of a particular movement to help spread freedom and democracy.”
The USAREUR band will be back home by April 25, just in time to warm up for its next big gig.
It will be doing several concerts, performances and marching in a parade in Moscow in early May for the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. It will be part of the main entertainment, joining six Russian bands, along with a British, a French, a Norwegian and a Ukrainian band for the ceremonies.
On the road ...
All concerts are free and will be hosted by the U.S. ambassadors of each respective country. For more information, call (+49) (0)6202-806511.
April 3: Plankstadt, Germany, 3 p.m.
April 8: Swidnica, Poland, 7 p.m.
April 9: Katowice, Poland, 7 p.m.
April 11: Kielce, Poland, 7 p.m.
April 12: Siedlce, Poland, 7 p.m.
April 14: Minsk, Belarus, 7 p.m.
April 17: Vilnius, Lithuania, (joint performance with the Lithuanian army orchestra), 6 p.m.
April 18: Daugavpils, Latvia, 6:30 p.m.
April 19: Riga, Latvia, 6:30 p.m.
April 20: Liepaja, Latvia, 6:30 p.m.
April 21: Klaipeda, Lithuania, 6 p.m.
