The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1941-10-02
Many Graduates of Outstanding
Music Colleges in Famous
Music Unit
Visiting at Home of Wade
Finton on Cherry Street on
Short Furlough

Very few except graduates of first
rank musical colleges, or those with
equivalent training, are accepted in
to membership in the crack United
States army band, according to Tech.
Sgt. Chas. D. Hershey of Washing
ton, D. c., the bands xylophone solo,
list who with his family is visiting
this week at the home of his cousin,
Wade Finton of Cherry street.
Sergeant Hershey is on short fur
Tough.
The band, consisting of 86 men,
bers, is one of the largest in the
country. 1t is an outgrowth of the
General Pershing band that accom-
panied the American general home
from the World War. The band to-
day is dedicated to the General.
Within the past week the band
played for the General when he
stopped in at the Walter Reed hos
pital in Washington, d. c., for a
routine check-up.
In BAND II YEARS
Sergeant Hershey has been in the
band for IL years and in the United
States army for a total of II years.
His son Karl is also in the band and
specializes on the same instruments
as his father, namely the xylophone
and percussion.
Every member of the band is a
soldier and is admitted from the
army ranks to the band only after
rigid tests and tryout for musician
ship. Regular advancement in rank
is given to the musicians as follows:
Private one, Private six, Staff Ser
geant, Technical Sergeant and Mas
ter Sergeant.
APPRENTICE TRAINING
Many of the directors of regiment
al and post bands received their ap-
prentice training in the bigger army
band, Sgt. Hershey pointed out. A
music school is maintained by the
army at the War college in Wash
ington in which directors for regi-
mental and post military bands may
receive their training. Head of the
school is Capt. Thomas F. Darcy, Jr.,
who is also director of the army
band.
Although Capt. Darcy prefers mu-
sicians with military band experience
in recruiting his personnel, he does
not insist on this background as
much as on excellent musicianship.
Many of the members of the band
are graduates of some of the leading
musical colleges in America.
SINGLE MEN
Single men are preferred for ad-
mission to the band since they are
required to stay in the barracks at
Washington. However, if they
choose to get married after admis-
sion to the band they may do SO
with the permission of their super
ior officers. Although several mar
ried members of the band are living
in special quarters provided at the
barracks most of them live in pri-
vate dwellings.
The band broadcasts regularly and
plays frequently at important socia
functions and diplomatic activities
at the nations capital. A feature
of the summer months is the weekly
band concert given at the Capito
building. The weekly broadcast i:
from the band auditorium at the
Army War college.
Few TRIPS
In recent years the band has beer
in demand so much at Washington
functions that there have been few
extended trips of any kind. TIL,
band played at the New Yorl
Worlds fair throughout the summer
months but with that exception sci
dom leaves Washington.
Members of the band engage in n,
other military activity and devot
all of their time to rehearsals ant
concerts.