Jake Epstein Music Site
How the UMass Marching Band Saved my Life

This year, 2012, marked a milestone in my life and that of hundreds if not thousands of other musicians.

Dr John Jenkins, former Director of Bands at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst retired from teaching. I consider him one of my college music mentors along with Prefessor Joseph Contino, Professor Linda Smith, Dr Fred Tillis, Dr Philip Bezanson Dr Horace Boyer and Professor Max Roach.

Although I grew up on a farm in Western Massachusetts and was very active in 4-H while helping my parents and uncle run our farm, I was also into music playing clarinet. I was a product of the Pittsfield Jr and Sr High School music programs.

When I began my studies in Animal and Veterinary Sciences, I signed up for the Marching Band. At that time, Mr Jenkins or JJ as we fondly call him, was in his second year. He studied at the University of Michigan under famed professor Dr William Revelli, Director of University of Michigan Bands.

The story goes that back the early 1960's, UMass President Dr John Lederle, who had been associated with the University of Michigan, was interested in replicating the Michigan band style at UMass. Dr Jenkins was recruited to do so.

In August of 1964, I attended my first Band Camp. It was a life changing experience as we learned to high step, march in complex formations and play as musicaly and in tune as possible while fighting for breath and hydrating against the heat. Many felt our regimen was tougher than the football team's.

Our era band accomplished several firsts:

1. New Uniforms with hats and plumes, tuxedo's and overlays.
2. Last football season at Alumni Field in Freshmen year and first season in what is now Mguirk Stadium in my Sophomore year.
3. First Post Season Bowl Game, Tangerine Bowl in Orlando playing East Carolina State. Game lost by 1 point.
4. Helped revolutionize the role and scope of marching and symphonic bands in the North East. Other great programs that became our competition included UConn and URI.

As a result of my participation in the Marching and Symphony bands, programs developed with the small but growing Music Department allowed me to study applied clarinet with Joseph Contino and music major theory with Dr Robert Stern and Professor Charles Fussel. But probably most important for my development in Jazz, I was assigned a band tenor sax and played it in the marching band in my Sophomore year.

As a product of my studies and access to Piano's, I developed Jazz Arranging and Composition skills and began writing music for rock/soul bands and the Amherst College Jazz Orchestra. Subscribing to a Berkley College of Music correspondence course was also important to my development. So by the time I graduated, I had several important training, performance and writing experiences.

It was a glorious day in May, 1968. Just about a month prior and on my birthday, Dr Martin Luther King was assassinated which brought much apprehension and misery to our Nation. Dr King had been working hard at helping us end the war through public awareness.

I was on my way through the Student Union's Cape Cod lounge on that day when I saw students transfixed around the TV. Correspondents were reporting about the Tet Offensive in Vietnam. This was one those times like the Shuttle Disaster, the November Day when President Kennedy was shot and others that are transfixed in my mind.

After the end of school during that May in 1968, I returned to the family farm to work. Life on farm was difficult and finances always a challenge. I continued to perform and write music for bands. I was missing a couple of credits so I took a history course with a retired army officer at Berkshire Community College. I learned a lot from Mr Mulhowland who taught one of best course I had ever taken. I matriculated in January 1969 with Bachelors of Science in Animal and Veterinary Science.

In September of 1968, my "Friends and Neighbors" drafted me to help protect the nation from the "Communist Threat". We tried for an Agriculture Deferment but were turned down. Other farming friends with connections obtained deferments. We were never informed on how part time workers had received deferments and I who was a full time worker had not.

So in speaking with Air Force and Army recruiters about benefits of enlisting rather than taking my chances with assignments, I took music auditions. My first audition was for the Air Force at Westover Field in Ludlow, Mass. Although I was deemed qualified, I was placed on a waiting list but advised there were many applicants for the Band system. The air force auditioner, upon learning that I composed and arranged music, advised me to bring materials and tapes to the Army Audition.

At Army Fort Devons, I auditioned for the band master. After my playing audition on both Clarinet and Tenor Sax, he looked through my composition and arranging samples. As a result of the audition, I was assigned to the 113th Army Band at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After attending Basic Training at Fort Jackson, I was assigned directly to the band.

Most military personal attend advanced individual training in their specialties after Basic. Examples are advanced infantry training, radio school, flight mechanic training and etc. Army Band personnel at the time attended the Naval Music School. I was exempted from that and it was always interesting speaking with band personnel who were college music graduates who were required to attend the school. I believe it was my writing that made the difference.

The Army had different categories of bands at my time of the services. Special Bands like the US Army Band, Army Field Forces and West Point Academy band were prestigious organizations with stringent audition requirements. Division bands could be deployed anywhere in the world including battle zones such as Vietnam. Field Bands were most commonly associated with Army Posts and were often smaller in size usually less than 30 or 40 members.

The 113th Army Band is a field band but has an important distinction. It had during my era and currently has the longest time of continuous active service second only to the West Point Academy Band. This for all US Services. The 113th is also one of the most highly decorated units. And yes, contrary to common believe, Army Bands men and women have served in harms way and have sacrificed for our country.

For me, The 113th was a wonderful experience.  I and many of my colleagues were so fortunate to serve in the 113th and other musical units. Many of our experiences and accomplishments as a musical organization will be differed for another article or memoir, but my experience of arranging and performing the music for the "Charisma of WEB" stands out. It was a lot of work for our unit not only preparing the music and documenting the life of Composer Jimmy WEB at that time, but playing for troops, school students and the public was a highlight. We and our comrades around the world represented our colleagues in arms and non combatant roles. Sharing all of our roles as citizen soldiers in a time when other than TV coverage and "body counts", we were hidden from site.

Back in those days, the term "levy" was dreaded. Many of us got these orders which essentially started the process for new deployment. Germany and Hawaii were quite welcome and often a huge relief. It was like winning the lottery. Korea was not welcome but also was a relief. Vietnam could cause terror. We had to be honest. We were trained and ready to go, but by 1969 after President Richard Nixon campaigned and promised us an end to the war, most of were apprehensive and doubtful that the war would end.

I received Levy orders three times while serving at Fort Knox.

1. Early in my career, I was exempted from deployment to Vietnam based on my enlistment that guaranteed one year deployment with the an Army Band.
2. I was exempted from deployment through intervention by my senior NCO staff and Warrant Officer Band Master. I was never advised on any details, however, I had done special work on band and other post services programs and thus I assume it was my value as a  composer and arranger that made the difference.
3. I was levied with less than six months active duty remaining. We referred this status as "Short" and I laugh thinking about the antics of short timers back in the day. Thus my short status exempted me from being deployed.

I served from January 13, 1969 to November 12, 1971. After separation from active duty, I returned to UMass to study for my Masters Degree in Music and to study and eventually teach, compose and perform with my mentors and many students. Another story for another time.

So it was that humble beginning with the UMass Marching Band that opened doors for me and possibly saved my life.