United States Navy Band member to have a homecoming of sorts with performance in Ashland

The United States Navy Concert Band’s performance at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 2 at Ashland High School will be a homecoming of sorts for French horn player Chief Petty Officer Thomas Wheeler, a native of Millersburg.

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Wheeler will be among the more than 50-plus members (including singers and announcers) of the U.S. Navy Concert Band, based out of Washington, D.C.

The Navy Band has been performing public concerts and participating in high-profile events throughout the country for more than 95 years. It has performed about 600 funerals at Arlington National Cemetery each year, as well as playing about 600 performances on the road. All Navy Band performances are free and open to the public.

The band performs a wide array of marches, patriotic selections, orchestral transcriptions and modern wind ensemble repertoire.

How Wheeler joined the Navy Band

“In 2003 I saw an ad for the Navy Band holding an audition, and I was offered the position in May of 2003,” Wheeler said. “I took the audition, was offered the position and was shipped off to boot camp in August 2003. And that’s how I ended up in the Navy."

Wheeler graduated from West Holmes in 1995 before heading to Indiana University.

“Music was an enormous part of my family growing up,” Wheeler said. “My dad was the high school band director, my mom had her degree in music education and was the church organist. All the kids played a band instrument, played piano and also sang in choir. Music was a daily part of our lives.

“As I got older, I wanted music to remain an important part of my life, and was looking to do that as a profession,” he continued. “I was really thrilled that the Navy has given me that opportunity. The Navy Band in D.C. performs an enormous amount. I grew up with a lot of music in my life, and the Navy has allowed me to retain that. The Navy has been an outstanding opportunity, and I appreciate all the things the Navy has done for me."

A great way to make a living

He added that there are many ways to make a living, but he is quite happy with what he is doing. He said the navy is made up of truly patriotic people and incredibly motivated people who are really good at what they do.

"I am proud to represent the U.S. Navy across the country and around the world," Wheler said.

Thomas' father Roger said he looks forward to seeing the Navy Band perform every five years when they are on tour through the area.

"I see my son once or twice a year, but it's special when he plays in the band,"

Roger Wheeler said. "That's his livelihood. He's been in the band I think for 19 years."

CPO Wheeler said his father has made a great effort to see his son perform.

All the military bands divide the country into five different parts, and all roads lead back to Washington, D.C.

"A few years ago we were playing the West Coast tour, and one of our final shows was in Kentucky, near the Ohio River, and dad drove down for the last show of that tour," Wheeler said. "He drove a couple hours just to see the concert. He's made a lot of effort to come and see us play."

About the U.S. Navy Band

One of the U.S. Navy Band’s primary responsibilities involves touring the country. All of the band’s primary performing units embark each year on concert tours throughout specified regions of the country, allowing the band to reach out to audiences in areas of the country that do not have opportunities to see the Navy's premier musical ensembles on a regular basis. The concerts are family-friendly events, meant to be entertaining to veterans, families, individuals and those interested in joining the Navy.

The U.S. Navy Band is the flagship musical organization of the Navy and one of 11 Navy bands located around the world. The U.S. Navy Band is based at the Washington Navy Yard in D.C.

The Sea Chanters 2022 tour will cover 13 cities and more than 3,000 miles. The Navy Band has been touring the country since 1925. There are six performing ensembles in the Navy Band: the Concert Band, Ceremonial Band, Sea Chanters chorus, Commodores jazz ensemble, Country Current country/bluegrass ensemble and the Cruisers popular music group.

Ensembles from the Navy Band tour nationally 12-15 weeks each year. Sailors in the band are full-time professional musicians. Almost all of the sailors in the Navy Band have undergraduate degrees in music, and most have graduate degrees.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Millersburg native coming to Ashland with U.S. Navy Band