A free concert at UTEP next Thursday will bring together a Grammy-winning cellist, the 1st Armored Division Band, the historic 369th Infantry Regiment Band and the university's own symphonic musicians in a tribute to veterans timed to the nation's approaching 250th anniversary. “Sound of Service” is set for Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. inside Magoffin Auditorium on the UTEP campus, with admission free to the public.
The concert will feature performances by the UTEP Symphonic Band, the 1st Armored Division Band and the historic 369th Infantry Regiment Band, according to KVIA. Grammy Award-winning cellist Zuill Bailey will also perform, joining the lineup for what organizers describe as both a musical showcase and a tribute to military veterans and their service to the country. Tickets are available through UTEP's music department website, per the same report.
Several members of UTEP's Department of Music are also expected to take part, creating what KVIA describes as a collaboration between academic musicians and military bands. Organizers say planning for the event has been underway for more than a year, a timeline that places the concert's roots well before this fall's Veterans Day push.
A Panel Discussion Sets the Stage
Before the music starts, a panel discussion featuring UTEP faculty and members of the 1st Armored Division Band will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the concert at 7:30 p.m., according to KTSM. The pairing of a scholarly conversation with a live performance reflects the broader academic project behind the concert, which traces back to a partnership first announced over the summer.
That earlier announcement, posted by UTEP, described a concert and educational initiative hosted in partnership with the 1st Armored Division Band at Fort Bliss, with UTEP students performing alongside the unit's musicians. The effort is supported by a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the university said, and includes the publication of music transcriptions and educational materials alongside the November concert.
Jazz History Behind the Fanfare
Those transcriptions — for the songs “St. Louis Blues,” “Memphis Blues” and “Clef Club March” — center on the music of James Reese Europe and the evolution of American military music, per UTEP's announcement. The materials are set to be published by Murphy Music Press alongside educational resources, according to KFOX.
UTEP's grant was one of 33 awarded in this round of NEA funding, KFOX reports, with grants in the round ranging from $10,000 to $20,000. The initiative offers grants of up to $20,000 for organizations partnering with U.S. military bands on performances and educational programming tied to the nation's 250th anniversary, according to KTSM's report.
Leadership of the project has been attributed to Dr. Brandon Houghtalen, though his title is described differently across accounts: KVIA identifies him as UTEP's director of athletic bands, while UTEP's own announcement refers to him as the university's associate director of bands. Either way, Houghtalen is credited with securing the NEA grant that helped bring the concert and its accompanying educational materials together, uniting students, faculty and active-duty service members on one stage for a night built around gratitude and history alike.
