Free Army National Guard Band Concert in Patterson Features Work by Local Composer

PATTERSON, NY (08/01/2011)(readMedia)-- A free concert by the New York Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division Band at the Patterson Recreation Center in Patterson at 7 p.m. on Saturday August 6 will feature the first performance of a march written by Paterson resident Douglas Hedwig.

Hedwig is a Captain in the New York Guard, the state's all volunteer defense force, and leads the New York Guard's Band. The New York Guard Band will join the 42nd Division Band for the concert in Paterson.

Hedwig is the author of the New York Naval Militia March, a tune written specifically for New York's state naval reserve force. The tune, which can be heard here: http://dmna.state.ny.us/nynm/naval.php is now the official song of the Naval Militia.

The 42nd Infantry Division Band

The 42nd Infantry Division Band, whose roots go back to World War I, performed across Iraq during a deployment there in 2005 and performs regularly across New York during the summer as the musical ambassador of the New York Army National Guard.

The performance is one of a series of shows the band is giving across the state as part of its annual training program. Each program features a selection of styles to include concert band music, big band sound, Latin music, and rock.

The New York Army National Guard's 42nd Infantry Division Band is based at the Camp Smith Training Site near Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.

The mission of the band is to furnish music whenever and wherever while serving our nation and our community. In combat bandsmen traditionally served as stretcher bearers, today they pull security missions and perform other military duties when not playing to support troop morale.

The 42nd Infantry Division Band consists of 33 talented musicians from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Connecticut. Band members are called upon as Army National Guardsmen to provide entertainment for civic and military ceremonies, parades and concerts and perform a variety of music including classical, concert, marches/patriotic, pop and jazz.

The band's Soldiers deployed to Iraq in 2005 and performed shows for troops and Iraqi dignitaries.

The band consists of different performing Groups which include Concert Band, Marching/Ceremonial Band, Brass Quintet, Woodwind Quintet, Jazz Combo, Latin Band, Rock Combo and Buglers. The majority of the unit's skilled musicians are versatile on more than one instrument, which enables the band to perform for various types of military and civic functions.

The band drills one weekend per month and has 15 days of active duty per year. Full-time occupations of the band members include students (both high school seniors and college), music education/music industry, construction, government, medical/therapeutic, pharmaceutical, information technology, criminal justice and management.

The 42nd Infantry Division Band is under the command of Chief Warrant Officer Mark L. Kimes and First Sergeant Leslie G. Saroka.

New York Guard Captain Douglas Hedwig

New York Guard Capt.Douglas Hedwig is Professor of Music at Brooklyn College, City University of New York, and previously served on the faculty of The Juilliard School.

He was a trumpeter with The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (NYC) from 1973 to 2000, and served as volunteer Civilian Bugler with The New York City Fire Department in the months following the events of 9/11/2001. Hedwig was awarded the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from The Juilliard School in 1986, and is the recipient of awards and honors from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, The J. William Fulbright Foundation, The U.S. Department of State, New York City Council, and FDNY.

In addition to the NYNM March, Hedwig composed the "New York Guard March" (2007), which is based on the original song "The Good Old N.Y.G., composed by Major Charles Clanton, NYG, in 1916.

Other recent works include "Promenade for a Great City," composed for the 2nd Inauguration Ceremony of NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (2010), and "Brooklyn Fanfare" (2010), composed for Brooklyn College, City University of New York.

Hedwig recently composed a work entitled "Tone Poem on Taps" to mark the 150th Anniversary of the composition of America's most famous bugle call, "Taps", the tune played on Army posts to announce the end of the day and at funerals.

Taps was composed during the Civil War by New York General Daniel Butterfield in July 1862.

The work was recently recorded by the Maryland Defense Force Band (the Maryland Defense Force is the state defense force of Maryland; like the New York Guard), and is due for release on CD by November 2011.

The New York Guard and New York Naval Militia

The New York Guard is a non-deployable force of volunteers who augment the New York Army and Air National Guard in domestic operations and assist them in preparing for overseas deployments and training.

The New York Naval Militia, which recently celebrated its 120th birthday, is composed of members of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Reserve who agree to be called to service at the direction of the Governor of New York when needed, and a small number of volunteers who are not longer active reservists. The New York Naval Militia operates nine boats in its Military Emergency Boat Service and can provide trained personnel for state domestic operations when called upon.

Posted Monday August 01, 2011 at 01:00 pm by New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs
Last Updated Tuesday August 02, 2011 at 01:41 pm