Musicians

Active Duty Musicians

• Bb Cornet Player

Bill is the Director of Institutional Research at California State University, Chico. He has been re-enacting for over 10 years with the Re-enactors of the American Civil War (RACW) and served as Confederate Brigade Commander and President of the RACW.

Bill took a loyalty oath upon hearing that the band needed another cornet player and joined right up. He also provides assistant bugler duties for Band Manager Doug Thompson.

• Eb & Bb Cornet Player

When not playing Eb cornet, Mike can be found leading a Civil War Mounted Artillery team into battle with the 3^rd US Artillery or spending time with an SCA group. 

Mike has also been playing Trumpet in the Ophir Prison Band since 2005.  When he finds the time, he works as a network administrator.

• Bb Baritone Player

Chris started playing with the group in 2007.  He has also played in the Oakhurst Community Concert Band for nearly 20 years. By profession, Chris is a licensed utility worker with Madera County. 

Civil War era music runs in Chris's family as he has an ancestor that was a fifer with the 43rd Ohio.

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• Director
• Drummer

• Bb Baritone & Fife Player
• FPGBB Treasurer

Marty studied trombone and baritone at UCLA with Paul Tanner and George Roberts, then, tired of counting rests, changed to oboe, earned an MA in Oboe Performance, and enjoyed a long career as an orchestral oboist and English Horn soloist.  When the thrill and terror of orchestral playing paled; a new challenge was needed. What could be better than cramming hundreds of obscure fife tunes into the tiny crevices of one’s brain?  Besides, there was the limitless fun of thousands of hours researching the manners, morals, and material culture of the mid-nineteenth century, hardtack, hard ground, and hard marching!

Now playing with the Fort Point Garrison Brass Band, and  returning at last to Brass Roots,  Marty also serves as a Director of CCDB, California’s official fife and drum corps, and on the Executive Board of the International Company of Fifers and Drummers.  And then there's the tall ships ...

• Trombone Player
• FPGBB Secretary
• FPGBB Historian

Greg is a sales rep for a wholesale distribution firm in San Jose. He has been reenacting with the National Civil War Association since 1986 and serves in Co. A, 2nd Massachusetts Cavalry, the California 100. He has played trombone for over 45 years, and is a member of the Peninsula Symphonic Band and the Cal Aggie Alumni Marching Band.

• Bb Cornet, Eb Alto & Tenor Player
• FPGBB President & Band Manager

Doug is a technical writer by profession. He has been re-enacting since 2000, bugling for the 3rd US Artillery (CHAS) and the Union Brigade.

Doug is our founder/band manager and was inspired to start the band after playing with the Federal City Brass Band during his participation in the Eastern Field Music School and finding interested musicians amongst his fellow re-enactors. He has played Tenor horn, Eb Alto horn, and Bb cornet with the band.

• Eb Cornet Player
• FPGBB Web Master
• Instrument Curator

Playing in a Civil War band is in Eric's blood. His Great-Great Grandfather played bass in Company E of the 81st Regiment Infantry and Brigade Band of the New York Volunteers.

Eric has also been playing lead trumpet in the Ophir Prison Band since 1984. Besides playing whenever possible, Eric is a serious and well established vintage brass-wind instrument collector (www.HornCollector.com) and dealer (www.DACAPOmusicexchange.com). He deals with collectors, repairmen  and players from around the world wide on a regular basis.

Eric often supplies the band with his Civil War era brass wind instruments as well as finds and sells instruments to band members as well as others. If you know of any Civil War era brass wind instruments for donation or sale, please contact Eric at Eric@HornCollector.com.

• Helicon/Bass Player
• Director

Mac is our Band Director. He was a music performance major at Fresno State University and Texas Tech. Mac was in US army bands for 3 years including the US Navy School of Music, 21st Army Band at Ft. Huacha, Arizona and the 8th Inf. Div. HQ Band at Kreuznach, Germany.

Mac has played in many Community symphonys including the Palos Verdes Peninsula Symphony (Los Angles, CA for 13 years) & the Mid Columbia Community Symphony (Washington for 7 years) and community bands as in Hawthorne, Rolling ills/Palos Verde, Clovis, Washington Union, Kingsburg, Saudi Arabia (Alkhobar and Al Jubail), Ophir Prison Marching Band and Capitol City Concert Band.  

He has also played in traditional jazz bands such as the Tri City Jazz Band (Washington), Traditional Jazz Band and the Hogan's Heroes (A Sacramento traditional Band).

To pay bills, Mac earns his living a s a senior Control Operator in a major Northern California hydroelectric plant.

Reserve Musicians

• Drummer

• Drummer

• Drummer

• Eb Alto Player

• Eb Alto Player & Bb Baritone

Melinda ("Mel") has been a member of the band since it's inception.  She currently plays the alto horn, but in the past has played many different parts as needed. 

Melinda is an avid horseman and reenacts with CHAS in many different roles, most recently as a teamster driving a 2 horse ambulance. 

Melinda's first love is the fiddle and she can often be found playing at the campfire for her (very annoyed) fellow members of CHAS.

• Eb Alto Player

Courtland is a Junior at San Benito High School . . . . we still have him for another 2 years! He plays tackle on the Varsity football team and is an avid  video game player. He originally played Bb cornet in the early days of the band, but has been playing Eb Alto horn for the past 2 years.