2 minute read
A Farewell to President Carter from the steps of Jackson Hall
by Zac Monnier, Staff Writer
At 17:00 Eastern Standard Time on January 9, two men played from the heart of our campus to honor one of its most cherished alumni with an echo rendition of Taps. Across the globe, hundreds more trumpeters played with them.
Taps is a haunting and distinctive American melody – comprised of only 24 notes – that conjures memories of those lost, kindles hope for the dawn and brings solace to the memory of those who have served with honor. The non-profit, Taps for Veterans, assists the military with providing live buglers for military funerals.
Michael “Mike” Saliba, a member of American Legion Post 2, Bugles Across America, and Taps for Veterans, has been playing Taps since 1945, when he was 15 years old. He has been called upon to play Taps many times over the years, with most of those callings asking him to play at the Andersonville National Cemetery. He was joined by GSW sophomore Mychael “Myke” Jordan for a modified echo rendition of Taps. Myke is a Music major and has been playing his trumpet since 2015.
Echo Taps is a custom of sounding the call with two buglers standing at some distance apart to achieve an echo effect. Mike and Myke stood together on the western stairs of Jackson Hall, playing out to a small crowd of two dozen faculty, students, and community members. Saliba sounded the call, with Jordan playing the response. While Echo Taps is not authorized by the U.S. military, this listener felt the effect was profoundly moving. Besides, the man it was meant to honor, President James Earl Carter, was a fellow known to step outside what was permitted for the sake of what he felt was right. A little riffing would be most acceptable to him, I suspect.
