Some musicians with the United States Air Force stopped by Binghamton High School on March 18 for a special workshop!
Staff Sergeant Nick Del Villano and Airman First Class Steven Brown worked with Mr. Smales’ band students and gave them pointers on how they can further improve the music they play.
SSgt. Del Villano (trumpet) and A1C Brown (percussion) are both members of the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band. They sat in with the students to play a few pieces, speak to them about what a career in the Air Force and being in the band is like, and to give advice on not just playing the notes on the page, but how to add more expression into the music.
“We feel a lot about how we’re not, but do we ever look in the mirror and say what we are?”, SSgt. Del Villano told the students. “There’s things that I’m not as a musician yet. But there’s things that I have. Whenever you’re playing your instrument, always feature what you are.”
The visit was also a bit of a homecoming for SSgt. Del Villano, who is a Binghamton native and graduated Binghamton High School in 2001. He reminisced with Mr. Smales, met with Associate Principal Miriam Purdy (who was SSgt. Del Villano’s 10th grade math teacher), and visited the bench outside the band room, where says he spent much of his down time during high school!
