ATHENS, Ga –
The Airmen of Note concluded their 2012 spring tour April 29 with a performance at the University of Georgia's Performing Arts Center.
The Airmen of Note is the premier jazz band of the United States Air Force. "The Note" performed an 18-concert community relations tour that included stops in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, allowing the band to share their music and messages with more than 11,000 members of the public.
"The Airmen of Note has the awesome responsibility to build and maintain the public's trust and confidence in the U.S. Air Force by serving as a reflection of the excellence and precision of Airmen all over the world," said Chief Master Sgt. Dudley Hinote, Airmen of Note NCO in Charge.
While the band rehearses together year-round, preparations for this tour became their main focus starting in early March. According to Hinote, this is when the group identified the repertoire was identified for this particular tour and began training on perfecting how the group members play rhythms together, balance the volume of the respective players, make transitions between different tempos, and navigate places where the music pauses and then restarts again, all with the goal of a flawless performance.
This training paid off night after night as "The Note" performed for audiences ranging from a couple of hundred to more than 1500 community members at venues throughout the southern states. Standing ovations and applause were indicative of the audience's enjoyment of the music, but this tour was about more than just providing a free show.
"I was struck by how appreciative and emotionally moved many audience members were at the conclusion of our concerts," Hinote said. I personally greeted thousands of community members after our concerts and received heartfelt thanks for the program we presented and words of how proud they were of us for our service."
The Airmen of Note perform these concerts to honor veterans and showcase the global Air Force mission. They also seek to inspire patriotism and foster an interest in military service.
"It stood out to me that high school and college music students would swarm the stage after (the concerts) to speak with the individual Note members," Hinote said. "They were so motivated and inspired by what they just witnessed. These are sharp young people who just saw and heard Airmen musicians performing at a world-class level, and they will never forget that - talk about winning hearts and minds!"
For additional information concerning the Airmen of Note or any of the units in the USAF band, visit www.USAFband.AF.mil.