The Patriotic Guitarist, Thomas Amoriello

Thomas Amoriello Fleminton Raritan School District tamoriel@frsd.k12.nj.us

Guitarist Master Sergeant Alan Prather of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in July 1999. Master Sgt. Prather began his musical training on the guitar at age 8. After graduating in 1986 from Cuyahoga Falls High School, he attended the University of Akron (UA) in Ohio where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in music education in 1991. In 2012, he earned his Master’s degree in music education from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. His instructors included Dean Newton and Robert Fraser of UA.

Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” he taught instrumental music in Nordonia Hills City School District in Ohio and freelanced with various ensembles. Master Sgt. Prather is a frequent soloist who leads, performs, and sings with a variety of Marine ensembles, including Free County, the Marine Jazz Orchestra, and the Marine Combo.

Master Sgt. Prather, the son of Patricia and Donald Prather of Cuyahoga Falls, currently lives in Mechanicsville, Md., with his wife Deborah and their children.

The NJMEA would like to thank Master Sergeant Alan Prather, USMC of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Corps Band, Colonel Jason K. Fettig, Director for sharing insight with the membership. Thank you to and kind regards to Gunnery Sergeant Rachel Ghadiali, USMC, Master Sergeant Amanda Simmons, USMC and Amanda Saunders for making this interview possible. For more information visit: https://www.marineband.marines.mil/

Prior to the audition for “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, I was sent a list of songs I was expected to know. The list consisted of standard jazz, rock, and country. From that list the members of the audition committee chose the songs they wanted to hear, which I then played with a rhythm section comprised of members of the band. Early on I had indicated that I can sing, so for the second round I was asked to sing a couple of songs in addition to playing a few more on the guitar. Along with the musical aspect of the audition, I was also interviewed by the committee on a variety of topics.

“The President’s Own” does not have a combat mission, so we are exempt from basic training. Upon arrival to Washington, D.C., we are instructed in military customs and courtesies by the Drum Major of the band.

Marine Barracks Washington, Washington, D.C. - Representative Scott Rigell plays the drums with members of the “The President’s Own” during the reception at the Home of the Commandants before the Evening Parade at Marine Barracks Washington, Washington, D.C., July 10, 2015. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Tia Dufour/ Released

One particular request stands out from New Year’s Eve, 1999, at The White House. I was playing with a 5-piece group in a tent in the Rose Garden, but most of the guests were inside the residence. At one point during the evening, our tent was completely empty and in walked President Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea. He stepped up onto the bandstand beside me, flipped through my music, pulled out Unforgettable, and asked us to play it for them. He and Chelsea then danced together in the empty tent. There were 1,500 guests at the White House that night but President Clinton found a few minutes to spend privately with his daughter. It was a special moment for all of us.

I have been called on to play many different styles of music, as well as many different stringed instruments. That variety is one of the things I enjoy about my job. The majority of music that I get to play is jazz, but I also play a variety of pop music styles (classic rock, Motown, country). Occasionally I will perform with the concert

band or orchestra, or on a chamber concert with a small ensemble. I spend most of my time on the electric guitar, but I also play a fair amount of acoustic guitar. Over the years I’ve played banjo many times with the Marine Band Dixieland Band at The White House and on public concerts, and I have even been asked to play the mandolin on one of the Marine Band’s educational recordings.

In addition to my responsibilities as the guitarist, I also lead the White House Dance Band, which consists of six horns and rhythm section, the Marine Band’s Big Band, and I co-lead the Marine Band’s country-rock band, Free Country. Leading these groups has allowed me to make use of my experience in leading groups prior to joining the band, as well as to hone my skills as an arranger. I have written arrangements for the concert band, big band, dance band, and Free Country. While these skills aren’t necessary to successfully perform my job, I have enjoyed the opportunities and extra responsibility having these skills has provided me.

The Marine Jazz Ensemble performed as part of the Star-Spangled American Music Series at the National Museum of American History on June 30, 2016. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Rust/released)

I use a variety of instruments. When playing straight-ahead jazz, I rely mostly on a semi-hollow body guitar. If the performance involves something more edgy, or if I’m playing with our country-rock group, I’ll bring out a solid-body guitar with single-coil pickups. From time to time I’ll be tasked with playing an event inside the home of the Commandant of the Marine Corps or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and for a performance such as that I’ll play an acoustic guitar. As far as amplification is concerned, my main amp is an all-tube amp with a pair of 12” speakers. I’m able to get a very nice tone out of it with the semi-hollow body guitar and, of course, it sounds great with the solid-body guitar and the pop music we play. I keep a small solid-state amp at The White House to use for indoor performances for which we typically provide music. (You might call it ‘society jazz’ that is meant to be in the background.) It has a small footprint and a very nice tone with the semi-hollow body guitar, plus it has on-board effects. I also carry a tuner and an extra set of strings to every performance.

As a member of the Marine Band, I’ve traveled to just a few places. I’ve traveled to New York City numerous times for the United Nations Gala hosted by the President of the United States; to Chicago, Illinois, on an educational outreach tour; and to Juneau, Alaska, to perform for the Juneau Jazz and Classics Festival.

On June 15, 2014, Col. Michael Colburn led the Marine Band during Arlington National Cemetery’s 150th Anniversary Celebration at the Memorial Amphitheater. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Master Sgt. Kristin duBois/released)

A couple of events come to mind, actually. The first is a concert we did at Arlington Cemetery in the amphitheater for the cemetery’s 150th anniversary in 2014. Not only was I privileged to be a part of that special program, but I also wrote one of the arrangements that was featured in the performance.

The second patriotic performance that stands out is a concert we did with the Big Band in 2015 for the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. The concert was held at the World War II Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C., and many of the attendees were veterans. I wanted to create a special event for them, so the idea was to offer a sort of musical time capsule or You Are There concert. I culled through hours of news reels and radio reports to find audio clips of newscasts from major events in the war which were then played as lead ins to the music we played from that era. It ended up being a very meaningful experience for all of us.

The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra is one of the world’s top youth orchestras. Under the direction of Maestro Louis Scaglione and guidance from prestigious faculty members, students from the tri-state area receive superior technical, musical, performance, and life skills instruction though six divisions: Philadelphia Youth Orchestra for ages 14–21; Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra for ages 10–18; Philadelphia Young Musicians Orchestra for ages 10–17; Bravo Brass for ages 12–21; Philadelphia Region Youth String Music for ages 6–14; and Tune Up Philly, an after-school engagement program for 1st–8th grade students. Audition

The PYO organization hosts auditions throughout the year. For application forms, audition schedules and info visit online: www.pyos.org/audition

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