Air Force Reserve Band spreads goodwill

The Band of the Air Force Reserve performed a Band Strike Package at Homestead Air Reserve Base from 18-20 May as part of the Air Force Reserve’s Community Outreach program.

The Band – comprised of three separate ensembles – performed at nine separate venues around Miami-Dade County, focused on thanking the local community and employers for continually supporting Homestead ARB and the Air Force Reserve.

From their initial performance on the NBC morning show to the final note of their show at the Homestead Armed Forces Day celebration, the band was magnificent, said Col. Randall Falcon, 482nd Fighter Wing Commander.

We wanted the band to help us reach out into the community and interact with our neighbors, and they did that flawlessly, he said.

The most popular ensemble of the band that played here in South Florida was the BlueNotes, which features a blend of jazz and blues with a touch of Latin spice.

“The Blue Notes were fabulous! When will they be coming back to visit again?” said City of Homestead Councilwoman Lynda Bell.

The BlueNotes played concerts at WTVJ-NBC6 and the East Ridge Retirement Village before concluding their visit at the Armed Forces Day celebration on Homestead’s Main Street, where hundreds sat in Losner Park as the band played for nearly three hours.

Another unique ensemble from the band was Southern Aire, which performs Celtic music on a variety of Irish and Scottish instruments such as bagpipes, Irish flutes, bodhrans, and much more.

Southern Aire started the long weekend of performances at the Homestead ARB Falcon’s Nest Club, where lunchtime customers were treated to something out of the ordinary.

“The band played mostly folk music. This was the first time we’ve had a band at lunch and several people asked when the band would be coming back,” said Scott Ibarra, 482nd Services Club Manager.

Southern Aire also visited the Miami Children’s Museum and the Homestead Art Club as part of the outreach program.

The Brass Quintet was the more traditional of the three band ensembles that visited Homestead ARB. They play a repertoire spanning five centuries, including everything from Renaissance and Baroque music all the way to jazz, popular music, marches and patriotic selections.

The Brass Quintet began Thursday evening with a concert at Community Partnership for Homeless, where the band brought smiles to children who seem to have gained a sense of hope and happiness after seeing the band perform.

Daniel Vincent, CHPI Executive Director, said everyone had been looking forward to hearing the band.

“This is wonderful. I’m grateful to Col Randy Falcon of Homestead Air Reserve Base for bringing these guys out here. It means a lot to the residents for the band to take the time to share their talents and educate the children and entertain the families here.”

The Brass Quintet continued their weekend of performances at The South Dade High School’s Homestead Center for the Arts before visiting the Miami Veteran’s Administration Hospital on May 20.

This was the first time the Band of the Air Force Reserve has performed a strike package in Homestead. (Tech. Sgt. Julie Briden-Garcia, 301st FW/PA contributed to this article)