Campus Band Pays Tribute to Veterans
Cristina Picozzi
Issue date: 11/20/09 Section: News
The Utica College band performed their annual Veteran's Concert on Monday, Nov. 9 in Strebel Auditorium. They honored the United States veterans that have served in wars such as World War II, Vietnam and Desert Storm, and are serving now.
The band, led by adjunct professor of music Michael DiMeo, played nine songs throughout the concert, two of which were accompanied by members of two local church choirs.
DiMeo has been the Utica College Campus band director for six years. He has been directing the Veteran's Concert ever since he started. The concert is a tradition that DiMeo brought with him from New Hartford Senior High School.
DiMeo said that there used to be a parade in the area to celebrate and honor local veterans, but it was a hit and miss with the weather. A friend of DiMeo had given him the idea to start a concert to honor veterans while he had still been teaching at New Hartford. After a few years, the parade was cancelled and everyone started going to the concert.
"It kind of grew," said DiMeo. "It's grown so much. It's standing room only."
The concert on Nov. 9 brought out such a huge crowd that people were standing outside the doors of Strebel Auditorium. DiMeo said he was "gratified by the amount of people" that came out to honor the veterans. He also believes that having a concert instead of a parade makes it a more personal experience.
"Veterans get more personal recognition," said DiMeo. "It's a personal environment, [we're] playing music that they like. To be on stage when they come up, they are grateful for the recognition."
DiMeo said he was surrounded by people who had been in the military such as his father and uncles as well as his wife's father and uncles. He believes that it is important to honor and celebrate our veterans because they were young when they first entered the military.
"They were 18-, 19-, 20-year-old boys drafted and sent over to a part of the world they had never seen before," DiMeo said.
The band, led by adjunct professor of music Michael DiMeo, played nine songs throughout the concert, two of which were accompanied by members of two local church choirs.
DiMeo has been the Utica College Campus band director for six years. He has been directing the Veteran's Concert ever since he started. The concert is a tradition that DiMeo brought with him from New Hartford Senior High School.
DiMeo said that there used to be a parade in the area to celebrate and honor local veterans, but it was a hit and miss with the weather. A friend of DiMeo had given him the idea to start a concert to honor veterans while he had still been teaching at New Hartford. After a few years, the parade was cancelled and everyone started going to the concert.
"It kind of grew," said DiMeo. "It's grown so much. It's standing room only."
The concert on Nov. 9 brought out such a huge crowd that people were standing outside the doors of Strebel Auditorium. DiMeo said he was "gratified by the amount of people" that came out to honor the veterans. He also believes that having a concert instead of a parade makes it a more personal experience.
"Veterans get more personal recognition," said DiMeo. "It's a personal environment, [we're] playing music that they like. To be on stage when they come up, they are grateful for the recognition."
DiMeo said he was surrounded by people who had been in the military such as his father and uncles as well as his wife's father and uncles. He believes that it is important to honor and celebrate our veterans because they were young when they first entered the military.
"They were 18-, 19-, 20-year-old boys drafted and sent over to a part of the world they had never seen before," DiMeo said.
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