The reunions of the Navy Musicians Association bring together former and present U.S. Navy musicians for a few days of music, sea stories, and camaraderie. The 2026 get-together in our Norfolk, Virginia homeport attracted a good number of first-timers who helped make this reunion and its music the best in recent memory.
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| L to R: John Clemmer, Mark Bruschuk, Tommy Loyola & Josh Keller |
An NMA reunion is one of the few places on the planet Earth where clarinetists are welcomed with open arms and without snide remarks. Day after day at the 2026 reunion, more clarinetists arrived. At the Friday-night concert, a full complement of seven Bb clarinetists sat front and center.
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Similarly, our brass section filled up this year, providing a powerhouse of a punch particularly suited for military marches--and, yeah, we do play the occasional march...
Those of us who have served in small unit bands know the challenge a lone tuba player faces. Our tubaist, Lee Hudson, rose to the occasion, providing the band with a solid foundation.
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| L to R: Jim Richards, Rick Jebavy, Gary Seitz |
It's a common misconception that a band needs lots of percussionists. Actually, a band needs only the right percussionists, and this year, we had them.
Vocalists Heidi Wilson and John Fisher fronted the band--their first performance together in 40 years, and, we hope, not their last.
The NMA Concert Band serves a purpose far greater than just providing Friday-night entertainment. It allows MUs of all eras and experiences to share their talents and camaraderie through music.
Our conductor, Ray Ascione, brings his years of experience and patience to the podium, leading to challenging, enjoyable rehearsals--and a memorable performance.
In the fleet, when the clarinet players switch to saxophones, the tuba player picks up a bass, and the snare drummer sits at a trap set, a big band magically appears. It's the same in the NMA.
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| The masters of delicacy, nuance, and finesse: the trombone section. |
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| Remember those guys in the concert band percussion section? Here they are again. |
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| Seems like everyone wants to play in the dance band; you'll notice the conductor of the concert band is sitting in the saxophone section. |
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| We're always glad to have Audra Ratliff in front of the band. |
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| In the blue shirt: Don Keller. This band is so good, even the President of the NMA wants to play in it. |
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| The NMA dance band closes out the reunion on Saturday night. After the final tune, we pack up our horns, stash the gear, and say to each other, "See you next year." |
