WEBVTT

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- [Interviewer] Please state your name and rank.

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- Hi, I'm Sergeant Major Tomenokian,

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T-O-M-E-N-O-K-I-A-N.

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- [Interviewer] And where are you from?

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- I 'm originally from Albany, New York.

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- [Interviewer] Can you please tell me

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a little bit about the All-American Bowl?

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- Yes, The All-American Bowl started in about 2002,

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and they added the band around 2007

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and we've been part of it

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for a very long time here working with the kids.

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- [Interviewer] What role does the Army Field Band

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play in the All-American Bowl?

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- We serve as soldier mentors to the kids.

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We help them learn their music,

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we have lunches with them,

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we interact with them in a way

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that they get to see the army in a very different light.

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- [Interviewer] What instruments do you play,

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and for how long have you been in the band?

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- I've been a member of the Army Field Band

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for 27 years and I'm the percussion group leader.

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- [Interviewer] How did you get involved

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in the Army Field Band?

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- 1989, there was a opening for a percussion slot

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and my teacher encouraged me to take the audition

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and I've been here ever since.

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- [Interviewer] What can those participating

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in the event expect to take away from the experience?

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- I think they'll have life-long memories,

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and I think they'll have a better appreciation

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of what the military does.

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And they'll be able to take that back

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into their own communities.

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- [Interviewer] Describe what it means to you

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to be part of the Army Field Band

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during the All-American Bowl.

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- It's a special time for us,

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we love interacting with the public,

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especially kids in this way.

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Helping them to just learn their music

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and to see the Army in a very different way.

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We get to sort of, they realize

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that we are just more than soldiers,

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we're people just like they are.

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- [Interviewer] What advice would you give

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to those wanting to participate in the future?

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- I would say practice hard,

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study,

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take the audition,

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and if things work out, that's wonderful for them.

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- [Interviewer] Okay, thank you very much.