Last year, a group of teenage musicians auditioned and were chosen for the opportunity of their young lives: playing a concert with “The President’s Own,” the United States Marine Band. The teens were all part of Equity Arc, a nonprofit organization that provides mentoring and support for young musicians of color, and the concert was set for this coming May.
But in January, that opportunity was taken away. An executive order signed by President Trump banned programs for diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the federal government and military.
When the president’s orders rendered the “President’s Own” unable to perform with the students, a group of veteran military musicians — including AFM Local 47 member Jennifer Marotta and AFM Local 161-710 member John Abbracciamento — answered Equity Arc’s call to step in. Retirees from the bands of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, Westpoint, and the Naval Academy got together to mentor the students of Equity Arc.
The TV program “60 Minutes” brought the teens to Washington to ask about the canceled concert — and they answered in song. At the music center at Strathmore, near Washington, 22 students who had lost their chance to play tuned up with the military band veterans for the concert that was not meant to be heard.
