U.S. AIR FORCE TO STRIKE UP THE BAND TUESDAY

Six hundred performances per year and the band doesn't even have a Top 40 hit.

It's evident that members of the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command Band stay pretty busy with such a full touring schedule.

The band will stop in Cape Girardeau Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. concert at the Central High School auditorium.

The theme of this year's AMC concert is "This Day in 1945." Selections will come from music written by Allied and American composers, as well as selections from Broadway and patriotic songs.

As one of 10 regional Air Force bands, the AMC Band performs concerts in the territory surrounding the base, said Capt. Lloyd Walton, band conductor.

The band is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois and tours Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas and Wisconsin.

"Our mission is three-fold," Walton said. "We support military functions on our base or other bases in the area."

The band also acts as a recruiting tool.

"The popular band goes to high schools for the recruiters," Walton said.

Community relations is the third reason the band exists.

The upcoming concert fits the last category, he said.

"We really try not to over-saturate our sponsorship. That's really important," Walton said. "We try to leave people wanting more and draw a larger crowd."

Much of the music performed at the concerts depends on what ensembles have played in the area recently, Walton said.

The band usually practices at least a week before each concert.

Vocal soloist Sharon K. Johnson, a technical sergeant, will sing with the band. She also performed with the Shades of Blue Jazz Ensemble in a November 1992 concert here.

Auditioning for the band is difficult because the candidates have to be able to play everything from classical to country, Walton said.

"Everyone has gone through an audition of some sort," he said.

Usually a person has heard about an opening and will send a tape. After auditioning and a six-week training period, he or she becomes part of the band, Walton said.

"The challenges of the job are varied and diversified, which makes the job more rewarding," he said.

Every person in the band also has an additional duty that relates to performing, Walton said.

Some famous former band members include Henry Mancini and composer Al Reed.

After serving with the band for four years, some musicians return to teaching or go back to school, he said.

"A lot go on to perform in symphonies," Walton said. "There are as many careers that follow as there are people in it."