Strike Up The Band...Strike Up The Band Author Melanie D.G. Kaplan Created Date 3/10/2010 9:03:40 AM...
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G unnery sergeant William Kan- teres stands in his office at the Marine Barracks Annex in South- east DC, between an ironing board and a closed door, and holds up a pair of green pants. “We send people to the moon,” he says. “You’d think we could make trousers without strings hanging off.” He pulls a thread off the waistband and holds it up for his audience—Doug Quinzi, a French- horn player, and Paul Mergen, a tuba player, who have enlisted in the Marine Corps. They sit silent, ignorant about “Irish pennants,” pesky threads that hang from seams and buttonholes. Kanteres unfolds the scissors of his Swiss Army knife and snips a thread. He tells Quinzi and Mergen how to Irish-pennant their uni- forms. “Be careful around the fly and buttons. If you cut too close, you’ll learn the hard way, and you’ll have to get a sewing kit.” Welcome to basic training for the President’s Own United States Marine Band. It’s the only Marine unit without a combat mission— and the only Marines who don’t go through boot camp. But the band attracts some of the country’s top musicians. Last year, an audition for two trumpet positions drew 124 hopefuls. After winning a spot, new members enlist in the Marines and become staff sergeants. “They arrive here and in most cases don’t know anything about the Marine Corps,” says master gunnery ser- geant Thomas Kohl, the drum major. Kohl is ultimately responsible for acclimating the enlistees. But when it comes to transforming civilians into Marines, assistant drum major Kanteres is the man. A 29-year-old marathon runner who rides a Kawasaki dirt bike to work, Kanteres spent several years playing the sax in fleet bands— a less-refined category of Marine music for enlistees who have com- pleted boot camp—before a deploy- ment to Iraq in 2003. Over the course of a month, Kanteres teaches a rookie how to walk, talk, and look like a Marine. He outfits them in uniforms with rib- bons and emblems and takes them for their first “high and tight” haircut at Sneed’s barber- shop on Eighth Street. He lectures on every- thing from the Uniform Code of Military Jus- tice, which covers topics like disrespect toward a superior, to protocol when performing at the White House. Kanteres teaches his charges how to stand at attention (“toes and heels together, fingers curled, lips closed, chest out, thousand-yard stare”), quizzes them on important dates during the band’s 206-year-history, and checks with a ruler that their medals are positioned correctly. Then there are the survival tactics that Kanteres passes on to newbies: Bend a wire hanger into your hat to keep it stiff; shine your shoes with Windex; if you have to tie your shoes, avoid squat- ting down on your calves, which wrinkles the back of your trousers. Instead, bend at the waist. Kanteres shares with Kohl the duties of lead- ing the band, whether it’s the recent presidential inaugural procession, a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, or a summer-evening parade. He dons white leather gauntlets, spins his mace, and barks commands to the band from under his foot-tall bearskin cap. After the Irish-pennant lesson, Kanteres shows Quinzi and Mer- gen where to crease their khaki shirts, demonstrating with as much focus as a marksman. “Steam is your friend,” he says. “If your iron is too hot, you will melt your uniform. Do not melt your uniform.” He tells Quinzi and Mergen that it may take them 45 minutes to iron their first shirt, and they’re not going to be happy about it. “Let’s face it,” he says, “you didn’t come here to iron.” He lifts the shirt and pulls off an Irish pennant. “You came to play music. But you have to look good doing it.” 52 WASHINGTONIAN The President’s Own Marine Band attracts some of the country’s top musicians. How do you turn a tuba player into a Marine? It involves a certain stare, lessons on ironing, and Windex. By Melanie D.G. Kaplan Washington writer Melanie D.G. Kaplan has contributed to the Christian Science Monitor, New York Times, and USA Weekend. Photograph by David Deal U p The Band Strike »
Transcript of Strike Up The Band...Strike Up The Band Author Melanie D.G. Kaplan Created Date 3/10/2010 9:03:40 AM...
Gunnery sergeant William Kan-teres stands in his office at theMarine Barracks Annex in South -east DC, between an ironingboard and a closed door, and
holds up a pair of green pants.“We send people to the moon,” he says.
“You’d think we could make trousers withoutstrings hanging off.”He pulls a thread off the waistband and holds
it up for his audience—Doug Quinzi, a French-horn player, and Paul Mergen, a tuba player,who have enlisted in the Marine Corps. They sitsilent, ignorant about “Irish pennants,” peskythreads that hang from seams and buttonholes.Kanteres unfolds the scissors of his Swiss
Army knife and snips a thread. He tells Quinziand Mergen how to Irish-pennant their uni-forms. “Be careful around the fly and buttons.If you cut too close, you’ll learn the hard way,and you’ll have to get a sewing kit.”Welcome to basic training for the President’s Own United States
Marine Band. It’s the only Marine unit without a combat mission—and the only Marines who don’t go through boot camp. But theband attracts some of the country’s top musicians. Last year, anaudition for two trumpet positions drew 124 hopefuls.After winning a spot, new members enlist in the Marines and
become staff sergeants. “They arrive here and in most cases don’tknow anything about the Marine Corps,” says master gunnery ser-geant Thomas Kohl, the drum major. Kohl is ultimately responsiblefor acclimating the enlistees. But when it comes to transformingcivilians into Marines, assistant drum major Kanteres is the man.A 29-year-old marathon runner who rides a Kawasaki dirt bike
to work, Kanteres spent several years playing the sax in fleet bands—a less-refined category of Marine music for enlistees who have com-
pleted boot camp—before a deploy-ment to Iraq in 2003. Over the courseof a month, Kanteres teaches a rookie
how to walk, talk, and look like a Marine.He outfits them in uniforms with rib-
bons and emblems and takes them for theirfirst “high and tight” haircut at Sneed’s barber-shop on Eighth Street. He lectures on every-thing from the Uniform Code of Military Jus-tice, which covers topics like disrespect towarda superior, to protocol when performing at theWhite House.Kanteres teaches his charges how to stand at
attention (“toes and heels together, fingerscurled, lips closed, chest out, thousand-yardstare”), quizzes them on important dates duringthe band’s 206-year-history, and checks with aruler that their medals are positioned correctly.Then there are the survival tactics that Kanteres
passes on to newbies: Bend a wire hanger intoyour hat to keep it stiff; shine your shoes withWindex; if you have to tie your shoes, avoid squat-ting down on your calves, which wrinkles the backof your trousers. Instead, bend at the waist. Kanteres shares with Kohl the duties of lead-
ing the band, whether it’s the recent presidentialinaugural procession, a ceremony at Arlington
National Cemetery, or a summer-evening parade. He dons whiteleather gauntlets, spins his mace, and barks commands to the bandfrom under his foot-tall bearskin cap.After the Irish-pennant lesson, Kanteres shows Quinzi and Mer-
gen where to crease their khaki shirts, demonstrating with as muchfocus as a marksman. “Steam is your friend,” he says. “If your ironis too hot, you will melt your uniform. Do not melt your uniform.”He tells Quinzi and Mergen that it may take them 45 minutes
to iron their first shirt, and they’re not going to be happy about it.“Let’s face it,” he says, “you didn’t come here to iron.” He lifts
the shirt and pulls off an Irish pennant. “You came to play music.But you have to look good doing it.”
52 W A S H I N G T O N I A N
The President’s OwnMarine Band attractssome of the country’s topmusicians. How do youturn a tuba player intoa Marine? It involves acertain stare, lessons onironing, and Windex.
By Melanie D.G. Kaplan
Washington writer Melanie D.G. Kaplan has contributed to the ChristianScience Monitor, New York Times, and USA Weekend.
Photograph by David Deal
UpTheBandStrike»
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What’s underKanteres’s hat?It’s a secret heshares withnew recruits.
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