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Active Duty
Musicians |
| PHOTO |
NAME |
DUTY |
MUSICIAN'S NOTES |
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Bill Allen |
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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. |
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Mike Johnson |
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When not playing
Eb cornet, Mike can be found leading a Civil War Mounted Artillery team
into battle with the 3rd 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. |
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Chris Mosher |
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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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Joel Quivey |
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Marty Sampson |
- Bb
Baritone & Fife Player
- FPGBB Treasurer
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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 ... |
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Greg Sweatt |
- Trombone Player
- FPGBB Secretary
- FPGBB Historian
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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. |
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Doug Thompson |
- Bb
Cornet, Eb
Alto & Tenor Player
- FPGBB President & Band Manager
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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. |
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Eric Totman |
- Eb
Cornet Player
- FPGBB Web Master
- Instrument Curator
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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.
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Mac Wright |
- Helicon/Bass Player
- Director
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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. |
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Reserve Musicians |
| PHOTO |
NAME |
DUTY |
ABOUT THE MUSICIANS |
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Keenan Bird |
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Tracey Bird |
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John Bieniarz |
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John is a retired Laconia (NH) police
officer, Civil War historian and musical instrument collector. He is a
graduate of the Butera School of Arts, Boston, Mass., with diplomas in
Commercial and Fine Arts. John is a self-taught musician and
says he operates on passion. He founded the 12th New Hampshire Regiment
Serenade Band, New Hampton, NH and also has played Saxhorn with the
Centennial Brass Band in Portland, Maine. He has been a Tubist with the
Lakes Region
Symphony and was a founding member of the Carter Mountain Brass Band.
John still frequently travels to New Hampshire with his wife, Rebecca,
to perform with the 12th New Hampshire Regiment Serenade Band. He is
writing a book on Civil War regimental bands. |
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Rebecca (Becca)
Doucette |
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Rebecca holds a B. A.
with Honors in Music from Williams College and attended Mannes College
of Music, New York City. She studies trumpet with Charlie Lewis of the
Empire Brass and Dr. Robert Birch, former U.S. Navy Band cornet soloist,
Washington, DC. In 2004, after serving as first trumpet with the 39th
Army National Guard Band, Manchester, NH, she transferred to the 257th
Army Band, "Band of the Nation's Capital," Washington, DC as Principal
Trumpet and Readiness NCO. In April 2006 she transferred to the National
Guard Bureau, Arlington, VA as a Public Affairs Videographer,
graduating as Distinguished Honor Graduate from the Defense Information
School, Ft. Meade, MD in August, 2006. Rebecca has taught trumpet and
coached brass ensembles at the Concord Community Music School and St.
Paul's School, both in Concord, NH. She has performed with the
Centennial Brass Band, Portland, Maine and Boston's Commonwealth Brass,
and is a former member of the Berkshire Symphony Orchestra and former
Principal Trumpet of the New Hampshire Philharmonic. Rebecca still
travels up to NH to perform as principal musician/E-flat
cornet with the 12th New Hampshire Regiment Serenade Band. |
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Chris Drake |
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