Bugling Across Alabama...and Other Places Too.

I just finished attending the Trumpet Festival of the Southeast at the University of Alabama for the weekend.  The weekend was filled with meeting trumpeters from all over from novices to professionals.  Rehearsals, master classes, and the like were enjoyed by everyone in attendance.  It was also a great opportunity to keep the Bugles Across America name out there for future buglers in our organization.

I found out awhile back that if you never let people know what you do that you'll never progress to helping anyone.  I took this mindset last year as the Alabama group for Bugles Across America made its presence known at the Trumpet Festival of the Southeast (which was held at the University of Alabama as well).  When I found that the festival was again going to be close to home I was more than happy to accept Dr. Yates' (head of the trumpet studio at the University of Alabama) invitation to once again be there and talk about all things pertaining to our organization and to get people signed up who showed a genuine interest in helping serve our Veterans.
The event was an amazing time.  I was able to meet and recruit quite a few people.  Michael Sachs is the Principal Trumpet for the Cleveland Orchestra.  He was a guest artist and expressed an interest in participating with our group.  We also had young people in their early teens come by and talk about how their grandfather wanted them to play Taps for them at their funeral.  Story after story of people providing Taps for memorials and at the gravesides of fallen soldiers of all ages came through those two days.  It was good to be there.
Hopefully we have laid the groundwork for future Southeastern states to take their turns and make this into a yearly process of active recruiting and story sharing.  I tell people all the time when they ask about bugling and playing Taps for the deceased that it is literally the best non-paying gig I could ever be a part of.  It never ceases to amaze me how important what I do is to a family.  I know I believe in the service I am rendering, but to get that appreciative handshake or to see the look in someone's eyes as they thank you for what you've done...you can't buy that or begin to put a price tag on it.

For more information on Bugles Across America, please go to the link to the left on the main page here or just go to http://buglesacrossamerica.org .  There you can donate funds to a worthy nationwide cause or join the ranks of over 7,000 buglers across the nation. Also, if you know someone who has a loved one who is about to depart from the life and they served in the military...you can let them know that we're here to be sure they get the honors they deserve.