OVER 200 students at Queens College, here in the city, and another 150 or so  high school children at Lichas Concert Hall in Linden were privileged to be treated to live performances by a visiting US Army band (State of the State) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Military band.
State of the State is here on an educational exchange with the GDF Military band comprising  sessions in theory and practice, and the many public performances scheduled are to coincide with the 235th anniversary celebrations of the Independence of the United States of America.
The joint US-GDF military band comprises US Army CW2 Stephen K. Rivero (Conductor); US Army 1SG Christine Corella (tuba);US Army SFC Seth Innes (trombone & piano);US Army SFC Joseph Moore (trumpet, guitar & vocals); US Army SSG Rafael Napoles (saxophone, clarinet & flute); US Army SSG Manuel Fonseca (trombone); US Army SSG Ralph Morales (percussion); US Army SGT Jerson Recinos (French horn & bass); GDF Captain Robert Burns (Conductor); GDF Corporal Patrick Bristol (trumpet); GDF Corporal Kwame Reid (clarinet); GDF Corporal George Murray (trumpet); GDF Lance Corporal Noel Beete (clarinet); GDF Private Lloyd Horatio (alto saxophone); GDF Lance Corporal Dimitrius David (euphonium); GDF Lance Corporal Marlon Shepherd (drums) and GDF Lance Corporal Devon Fraser (trombone).
On Thursday afternoon, the public was afforded the opportunity to see the joint band in action on the northern lawn of the Public Buildings.
Serving since 1906, the citizen-soldiers of the 13th Army Band of Pembroke Pines, Florida, provide music for all occasions with eight distinctive ensembles.
Band members are citizen-soldiers who serve their communities as students, teachers, administrators, clerks, and police officers, among other trades. What makes them unique is that they serve their country as soldiers whose military mission is music.
The band has previously performed throughout the southern United States, The Dominican Republic, Panama, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Morocco,  St. Kitts and now Guyana.
As the official Military Band of Florida, unit members have performed at official state functions such as the Governor’s inauguration and official visits of US dignitaries, including the President of the United States and numerous foreign leaders.
In times of disaster, the band has supported the needs of its local communities in multiple roles, including providing relief supplies for the residents of South Florida during Hurricane Wilma.