USAFE Band members perform four musical selections during the 22nd Annual NATO Musikfestival, Fritz-Walter Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany, June 11, 2011. Military musicians and bands from seven different nations performed musical selections influenced by their nation's culture and individual music styles for a crowd of more than 8,000 during the fest. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Chenzira Mallory)
Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, U.S. Air Forces in Europe commander, and his wife Betty, cheer on the bands as they perform during the 22nd Annual NATO Musikfestival, Fritz-Walter Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany, June 11, 2011. Several hundred military musicians and bands from seven different nations performed musical selections influenced by their nation's culture and individual music styles. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Chenzira Mallory)
Those in attendance cheer as their nation's band performs during the 22nd Annual NATO Musikfestival, Fritz-Walter Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany, June 11, 2011. Several hundred military musicians and bands from seven different nations performed musical selections influenced by their nation's culture and individual music styles. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Chenzira Mallory)
USAFE Band members perform four musical selections during the 22nd Annual NATO Musikfestival, Fritz-Walter Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany, June 11, 2011. Military musicians and bands from seven different nations performed musical selections influenced by their nation's culture and individual music styles for a crowd of more than 8,000 during the fest. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Chenzira Mallory)
USAFE Band members perform four musical selections during the 22nd Annual NATO Musikfestival, Fritz-Walter Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany, June 11, 2011. Military musicians and bands from seven different nations performed musical selections influenced by their nation's culture and individual music styles for a crowd of more than 8,000 during the fest. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Chenzira Mallory)
Military musicians and bands from seven different nations perform each nation's national anthem during the closing ceremonies for the 22nd Annual NATO Musikfestival, Fritz-Walter Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany, June 11, 2011. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Chenzira Mallory)
by Senior Airman Katherine Holt
86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
6/14/2011 - RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- Cloudy skies and a light rain couldn't keep more than 9,000 spectators away from the Fritz-Walter Stadion in Kaiserslautern, Germany, for the 22nd annual NATO Musikfestival June 11.
"It has been a wonderful opportunity to travel to Germany and perform in an arena this size," said Airman 1st Class Laura Hall, a trumpet player from the Band of the West at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, who augmented the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band for the event.
For more than two hours, spectators were serenaded in each nation's culture as the bands performed individually one after the other. Audience members applauded at the discipline of The Drill Team of the Guard Battalion at the Federal Ministry of Defence, Federal Republic of Germany.
The festival involved more than 450 military members from the Upper Austria Military Band, the Royal Naval Band from Belgium, the Latvian National Armed Forces Band from Riga, the Koszalin Military Band from Poland, the military ensemble from Luxembourg was accompanied by their special guest star Joy Fleming, USAFE Band representing Germany, the Naval Band Baltic Sea and a drill formation from the Guards Battalion.
The finale brought all the nations together for one large, unified performance.
The globally combined band played a 15-minute concerto that consisted of all seven national anthems conducted by their respective band commander and a marching drill that was custom-written for this year's ensemble. The performance brought the audience to their feet with an applause that rocked the stadium.
For three hours, seven nations were in search of the same goal, harmony.
"This festival [was] a great opportunity to perform with and meet people from other bands," said Airman 1st Class Adam Porter. Airman Porter is one of three tuba players that augmented the USAFE band. He regularly plays with the Band of Liberty at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.
In 1965, the city of Kaiserslautern and NATO's Allied Air Command Headquarters at Ramstein jointly organized the NATO Musikfestival. Since then, it has become a permanent feature in Kaiserslautern's calendar of events. In 2003, the NATO Music Festival Foundation was established to benefit charitable institutions and projects in the area of Kaiserslautern.
Saturday's proceeds went entirely to the foundation.
