Brian Dix – March On, The Commandant’s Own Maestro of the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps

Brian Dix – Baton 1, The Commandant’s Own Maestro of the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps - Our guest today is Brian Dix. Brian is a retired Marine with over 30 years of service. He's the 4th person to ever hold the job of Director of the Marine's Drum and Bugle Corps. The top Marine in the Corps is called the Commandant...to be in the Drum Corps is the pinnacle of Marine ceremony, performance, precision and discipline.  
Co-hosts best-selling author Scott Huesing and Pete A Turner sat with Brian in San Diego to discuss Brians approach to this highly prestigious position. For Brian it boils down to is service, attention to detail and knowing what he wanted to do, always, "March On." 
Hat tip to T. Ginn for her help throughout a LONG day. 
#band #music #paul #marines #drumcorps #drillandceremony #commandantsown #
Haiku
March forth with the band
Orchestra or the Choir
Music is freedom
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Transcription

Hey, this is john Leon Guerrero. Our guest today is Brian Dix. Brian is a composer, not our first one on the show. And a retired Marine also not our first one on the show, but definitely our first retired Marine composer. He was enlisted than a warrant officer then became an officer and ran the drum corps and the common dance band. Now I know many of our listeners out there know what it means to operate with Marine Corps precision.

Jon Leon Guerrero  0:00  
Hey, this is john Leon Guerrero. Our guest today is Brian Dix. Brian is a composer, not our first one on the show. And a retired Marine also not our first one on the show, but definitely our first retired Marine composer. He was enlisted than a warrant officer then became an officer and ran the drum corps and the common dance band. Now I know many of our listeners out there know what it means to operate with Marine Corps precision. And many of our listeners out there have world class drum corps experience. Brian combines the two and he's played for our country's top military brass and foreign dignitaries alike, artistic sensibility and masculine tenacity. He's got the chops for Carnegie Hall, and he'll fuck you up. I mean, he'll defend our freedom. co hosting is our favorite marine major Scott Husing, you know him, you love him. he embodies that combination to the soul of a writer, the heart of a warrior. And we of course are honored that he works with us so much so generously. And we're happy and grateful not only for his contributions as a producer and co host, but his influence as our friend. Now if you're into the content we're giving you and we're helping you be more informed. The newest a big favor and support the break it down show with a five star rating on iTunes or Stitcher or I Heart Radio or whatever platform you use to listen to us. And if you're listening on YouTube, please subscribe and hit that notification bill so you always know when we drop new episodes. And leave a comment or write us a review just a few words. I'm not asking for a book like Scott can write or a symphony like Brian can write just in a tude. Just kidding. Anything you say is fine by us will appreciate it and will love you for it. And you're going to love our guest today. Here's Brian Dix.

Unknown Speaker  1:49  
Millions rock productions

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This is James.

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This is Jordan. Dexter from the

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naked Sebastian youngsters, Rick Morocco. Stewart Copeland

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This is Andy Summers this goes back to

Pete Turner  2:03  
Gabby Reese is Rob Bell This is Johnny Andre and this is Pete a Turner

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I'm Bill Riley author of

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Baghdadi how Saddam Hussein taught me to be a better father and this

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is the break it down show.

Unknown Speaker  2:18  
And now the break it down show with john Leon Guerrero and Pete a Turner.

Unknown Speaker  2:26  
This is major Brian Dix United States Marine Corps, retired director laureate of the commandant zone, the United States Marine drum and Bugle Corps from Marine barracks, Washington DC, and you're listening to the break it down show.

Pete Turner  2:41  
Yes, the man with the baton. The Commandant's man with the baton that's like top of the that's as high as you get

Unknown Speaker  2:47  
baton one. Yeah, but the Air Force One then you got but ton one

Unknown Speaker  2:52  
you're gonna have to let the public know what you're discussing here.

Unknown Speaker  2:56  
Yeah, so we're sitting here in South Park San Diego, California. Good friend of mine. Brian Dix, another retired Marine Corps major. I know it seems like this very nepotistic world that I run in as far as surrounding myself with not just Marines, but great, accomplished Marines. And Brian and I met again through social media through all of our shared connections, our brotherhood, and a lot of shared connection is Yeah, it really is. But Brian's This is going to be a great episode Pete because you love music, album fights. And Brian is a musician, not only a musician, but the guy that lead the most prestigious, world acclaimed drum and Bugle Corps, the common arts over the top four star general in the Marine Corps. That's the commandant. He runs the show, and all the fancy parades and the pomp and circumstance and everything that goes into all things Washington, DC and around the world, their tour, and you're going to we're going to talk about his tour. But Brian ran that for 3030 days, 16 years in that position, but a 30 year career in the Marine Corps, right? Yes.

Pete Turner  4:04  
And then you're a multi instrumentalist, I'm assuming just guessing but what's your home instrument?

Unknown Speaker  4:09  
I was a tuba major in college. Okay. So I was I was a low brass man.

Unknown Speaker  4:15  
Pete is kicking himself right now because he inherited a tuba that he has no use for Yeah. And he said, I should have brought around my tuba. Yeah, but he didn't even know that now. He's making it into a planter.

Unknown Speaker  4:27  
Get a nice large firm, put it right in. I thought

Pete Turner  4:30  
I would learn how to play Boom, boom, boom, boom, bump, bump, bump up and just go play Mexican restaurants.

Unknown Speaker  4:36  
I'll tell you what, you know what there's a there's a serious requirement for in Southern California. That polka bands. Oh, sure. And you could you could lead it off with that tuba

Pete Turner  4:45  
Mexican or Polish whatever.

Unknown Speaker  4:47  
There's a market for polka bands.

Pete Turner  4:50  
My dad my dad was a big he so he played brash and play tuba and he had a sousaphone at one point and he has got a concert tuba that I've inherited. But yeah, he taught me about john Philip Sousa and all that stuff. And you know, in the army when you're doing your marches, and they're inevitably playing salsa, it's always about the army isn't giving love to john john Philip Sousa, they play the songs. And I'm like, I've heard the songs a million times already. You know, like I knew all of them, you know, anyway, the bass drum would be.

Unknown Speaker  5:21  
Hey, this is Pete real quick, I just want to let you guys know, we are proud to announce our official support of save the brave, a certified nonprofit 501 c three, with a charter of helping veterans with post traumatic stress. Here's how you can help go to save the brave, calm, click on the link on the website. And my recommendation is this subscribe, give them 20 bucks a month, you've got subscriptions that you can turn off right now that you're not using that are $20 a month, swap that out get involved. Let's help these folks out. You know, I can't do all of them. You know, I knew the bass john would be it was it was home music for me. I didn't know my dad smashed into my head without me knowing growing up in New Jersey, everyone was adapted to the arts in some form. Starting in elementary school, you know, there was a very small community in Cranford, New Jersey. And in third grade, you know, you you took general music classes first and second, the third grade, but in third grade, everyone sang in the choir. And then after you did in the choir that that, that first year, then they said they figured out who can play a musical instrument. And then you could be in the band in the fourth grade.

Unknown Speaker  6:25  
So I wanted to ask that too, is before your whole musical career in the Marine Corps. How did you how young were you when you said yeah, I love music, or I love playing instruments. And I want to do this and

Unknown Speaker  6:36  
that was great. It was absolutely fourth grade in New Jersey, the New York, New Jersey basically in that tri state area. What's required is that if you play instrumental music, you're taken out of class once a week for private lesson. And so that was the that was the impetus, if they were at the school is dedicating that much time to me saying yes, this is important that we're taking a class so you could learn your instrument at that time for me was a trumpet. That's like, Hey, this is great. I feel like I feel like I'm important. And then we band met once a week before school, and the band director, Mr. Nicola. Never forget that man. He had the best job in the world is because he got all of us together, fourth, fifth and sixth grade. And then he put on two concerts a year. He wrote all the music and then 1960s it was all mimeographed. So getting new music was great, because you get the smell that yeah, that fluid graph.

Unknown Speaker  7:32  
Okay, so fast. We've also got some things we have to explain military terminology to listeners, but mimeograph to some of the listeners, and I in studio with us for this interview is Taylor, given my assistant and she's thinking, what is a mimeograph? Do you know? Taylor, you know what it is? She's shaking her head, no. Fast Times

Pete Turner  7:50  
original. Hi, that movie.

Unknown Speaker  7:53  
That's like a new classic to her.

Unknown Speaker  7:55  
Yeah, it is the pre is the pre copy machine. Before copy machines, you have had to get a very large piece of paper, and then you could write whatever on it and Mr. Nicola would write music, or notes or class tests or things like that. And what happened was, is that it was just like, blue ink that was on there. So you pushed up, pulled up the paper, the tissue paper on that, and it went on this rolling machine, and you had to hand crank it. And there was this fluid that was on there. And that's how you got copies. And then I think 60s and early 70s, it was called memory.

Pete Turner  8:27  
Yeah. And the belief was if you sniffed it early enough, you could get a little high off of the ink. And so inevitably, every kids just try to sniff it because we don't know that's just what we were

Unknown Speaker  8:36  
almost as good as white paste.

Unknown Speaker  8:41  
though that was that was that was the exact impetus. And interestingly enough,

Unknown Speaker  8:47  
that school system in Cranford, New Jersey for Memorial Day would get all the elementary school bands was five in the town, and they get them together so they could March, physically March, you know, eight, 910 11 year olds marching the Memorial Day Parade. And what happened was is that we met after school, they taught us how to march in stride. We had to memorize one piece. The march was called our director. We did that every year. Everyone played the same thing. No harmony, drums, glockenspiel, trumpets, trombones, you know, maybe a tube of someone was able to carry the darn thing. And that was my gateway into marching music.

Unknown Speaker  9:23  
That's where the

Unknown Speaker  9:25  
right there in the fourth grade.

Unknown Speaker  9:27  
I think that's interesting, too, as far as leaving an impression and the impact the arts have at such a young age. And you look around at those the school districts now and state by state and those programs aren't offered. What do you think about that? I mean, like, is it burn your ass a little bit that it you gotta pay to play? I mean, basically,

Unknown Speaker  9:47  
the thing is, is that parents are so career oriented with regards to their kids, they're forgetting about the largest things in life. And you don't have to have a be a career oboist. But you can appreciate the arts by playing the oboe. And by being in the band, or the choir or the orchestra. You know, any one of those things, there is just wonderful development. Just like playing any sport, being in the arts, it promotes teamwork, because if you're in the band, you're in the band from September through June, and you're back in the band, or singing in the choir. And if you're in a team sport, chances are you may be only playing three or four months out of the year, if you're only doing one sport, and then music, there's always progression, because you're a freshman and you're with seniors, and you're still in the same ensemble, you know, and that's what that develops you as a good citizen.

Unknown Speaker  10:37  
I think it gives you such perspective too, because it doesn't have any boundaries as far as age or race or gender. You could be a phenomenal instrumentalist or vocalist at this age, well above someone who's older and to have that talent, I think it's something that's cultivated, though, through great programs. Again, you don't have to do it as a career. But I think you're right, the exposure is largely absent from what we do in the public schools.

Unknown Speaker  11:06  
I do not have the data on this, but I will make an educated guess. I would think that there are more people in prison that played football than more people in prison that marched in the band,

Unknown Speaker  11:20  
we we fully subscribe to an educated guesses and answers in most cases on. So that's, I don't think that's a long shot.

Unknown Speaker  11:32  
I have no data to support it. But I'm just going to make a wild guess.

Unknown Speaker  11:36  
But it's important. I mean, we work in the entertainment industry. Even as an active duty military service member you spent a large portion of your career in entertaining. The supporting establishment is active duty. Marine soldiers, sailors and airmen and all these dignitaries, which we'll get into trust me, it's a phenomenal lineup just walking through the house. And Brian's what we were is the me room where it's pictures of Brian with all of these mega mega celebrities and dignitaries. But so we know how you got into music. What thrust you later in high school career into joining the military?

Unknown Speaker  12:15  
Well, I always thought that serving the country was the right thing to do. I had to do it the best way I knew I could do the military. Being a cook wasn't going to do it for me being a nuclear. I mean, being a Surface Warfare Officer, and the Navy wasn't going to do it. I was actually I actually graduated from college, Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. And then after that, I was teaching in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and I felt like I was too young to be teaching. I just did not have

Unknown Speaker  12:48  
music.

Unknown Speaker  12:48  
I was teaching band High School bass. I didn't think I had the gravitas. I was five years older than, you know seniors. Yeah. wasn't working. And it was because the the senior band director at the school is named Miss at Dallas near Meijer made a phone call for me, because he knew I wanted to serve in the military. And he said, Listen, I have a friend than Washington DC. And he runs the marine drum and Bugle Corps. And at that time was major Truman Crawford. And I've always wanted to merge drum corps because drum and Bugle Corps a summertime activity, strictly brass, strictly percussion. In New Jersey, there was drum corps at every street corner, it seemed like and they always had drum corps festival. So at that time, they call it the drum corps fair, the drum fair, but we couldn't afford it. At all of my music studies through public education was by public education. Well, I never had a private lesson outside of the school district. And we couldn't afford a drum corps and even though they had scholarships, I had to work in the summer to go to college. So Dallas knew this Dallas near Meijer knew this. So he called his friend Truman Crawford, who was the director. Let's pause there.

Pete Turner  13:57  
Yes. Calls calls your friend. When you're in school, high school, college, you've got your peers that play similar instruments. Yeah, who did you go? I don't even belong in the same room as that person. And then they go on to be anything like we talking about Chuck Mangione or someone you know, but there are those people. You're like, oh, man, no one could touch whoever it is Scott using? Boy, he blew the alto sax like nobody else. I did play alto sax, not well, not Scott, then who are those people? The

Unknown Speaker  14:27  
I went to a small state university in Pennsylvania, the bulk of the students there were going into education. And at that time, I was amazed and marveled at at the level of professionalism they had as a vocalist as a violinist, and things like that. For me, my main goal was marching music, because that school had a very predominant, statewide, Nash, Banda had that great notoriety. I was impressed with several of the professors, and the amount of students that were brought to a higher level. At that time, there was a professor named dick Talbot. And he, of course, were in the marching band. He was a drummer, he was a drummer, and he arranged all the music for the marching band. How delightful was that? And the thing is, is that the students at Mansfield just not only adored him and his technique, but the way he could write, because who could think that a drummer is going to write clarinet parts? Yeah, Deke Talbot did he was just excellent at that. There was a gentleman named Dr. Chuck Wonderlich. And he was a history professor. And he flunked me out of one of my classes, and I still respect them to this day, is because he was hard, and he was tough, but he was just always fair, on the students, and the, and the success rate of the students that he had was extremely high. I said, He's got the key to success as an educator, dictated but had the key to success as an educator. And I wanted to attain those keys because I knew that five is going in the military. Eventually, I knew that even in college, that I was going to be an educator at some level.

Pete Turner  16:09  
So you didn't look up to guys like Mick Gillette, who played the horn at the genius level, you look more at the guys who had the tools that were there you were going to need

Unknown Speaker  16:17  
because because it goes the ones the ones who got there, it was because of a teacher. Right. Gotcha. Okay. They will, they always are the no such thing as a natural talent, because there's always someone else guiding them.

Unknown Speaker  16:30  
You know, I like it. There's no such thing as an overnight sensation. It's 10 years, then that's when you see it, all the work that goes into it. You're one of those guys. So you get the guidance, you get the mentor and you you realize that there's a career path for you in the military. And being

Unknown Speaker  16:48  
an army is going into a drum and Bugle Corps, because I even in college, I wanted to, but I could not afford it. I could not afford to go into a drum and Bugle Corps, so there was an opportunity. So Dallas near Meijer makes that phone call because Dallas has been in the civilian sector of drum corps international for many years. He was an adjudicator and an instructor just phenomenal individual calls Truman Crawford up, Truman gives the I get the phone. He talks to me, a major in the United States Marine Corps is talking to the civilian that was currently in Arlington Heights, Illinois. And so we talked for 20 minutes, I said, that's what I'm going to do

Unknown Speaker  17:26  
in 1983 lyst in the Marine Corps, and go down to the maps,

Unknown Speaker  17:33  
to maps. And there was it was a first sight of realization that I'm finding out that the people that were enlisting at the time, either had two choices, one was a choice by the magistrate. The other one was by their parents, yes, they were either going to at that time magistrate said either going to go in the military or going to jail. And that's what it was like in the in the military group. That was it.

Unknown Speaker  17:59  
So you enlist 1983 and for the for the military listeners to even civilians. It's kind of a fascinating career path. When you do the do the music, and there's only the Marines. Listen to this. There's only one group of Marines who aren't Marines. And that's the President's own.

Unknown Speaker  18:16  
Well, which is we'll take a step back yet. All first off all enlisted Marines, our contract Marines. That's the bottom line. So anyone that goes into the United States Marine Corps as an enlisted men will be under some type of contract, their contract and their requirements are just different than everyone else. They raised their hand and they're sworn to the UC MJ. They are Marines. Right. They are not infantry trained Marines. They are Marines.

Unknown Speaker  18:45  
But the President zone the presence out there recruit they are recruited though, as well as professional musicians. But they don't go through any of the job training like drama, beautiful. You went through. We can't read you right here. You could you could hit a golf ball to record for deeper Bryan's place which is

Unknown Speaker  19:01  
sometimes you can hear colors also. Yeah, I hear colors in to our listeners. I can see Balboa Naval Medical hospital. And every evening there's a helicopter that comes in the checks in a Navy helicopter comes in checks on the hospital and then goes back to Coronado

Unknown Speaker  19:18  
we got the airport we got planes flying halos closer support

Unknown Speaker  19:21  
college.

Unknown Speaker  19:23  
Yeah, I know we're getting off topic.

Unknown Speaker  19:25  
No, there is off topic where exactly

Pete Turner  19:27  
we want to be because I want to ask you this then. So I'm going to do this 20 minute conversation. Does the major go Hold on a second here? Can you hit a bass drum? Can you play a rack of snares? You know? Or did he not care?

Unknown Speaker  19:43  
enlistment was different at that time. First off, he got a phone call from a person that he thought was the truest professional of all. His friend Dallas near Meijer Dallas Nehemiah was calling him at his office during a workday. He knew it was for a good reason. Since I was a tuba player, in the beautiful family. They have all sorts of Google's but of different sizes and pitches. So I played the lowest pitch one and that was called the Contra bass bugle. Yes. And that's like the dinosaur.

Unknown Speaker  20:14  
I was telling Pete On the way down I said, Man, we can't cover a 30 year career or anything like yeah, we're going to talk about this, this and this when we get Brian back on the podcast. But so let's fast forward just to kind of encapsulate like, all the stuff like you, you have you you joined the Marine Corps and this this becomes this tremendous profession and you spend your time going up through the ranks. And then the opportunity is presented for you to go to the barracks, right? And and become a director

Unknown Speaker  20:47  
and it was vacancy, and it was pure hell getting all the way to there. Because at that time, there was no guaranteed contract. First, we're going to enlist me under what's known as an open contract. That means the Marine Corps will put you whatever they need me to raise. Right, exactly. And then when I got to boot camp a switched over to to become a band Smith, because the Marine Corps at that time had 12 or 14 bands. And I did not want to be a tuba player in the band. I've done that I checked that box. I said I want to go in the drum and Bugle Corps. This major Crawford spoke to me and this and that. boy did I get my my butt shoot over that one. And then after I was sent to the School of Music after I finished Recruit Training down a little creek then I made it known that I wanted to audition for the German Bugle Corps. Major Crawford knew about it, the marine liaison knew about it. And I auditioned and I got my ass reamed, again, by all these people saying you have to be a tuba player in the band and this and that. And sure enough, I auditioned as a contra bass bugler, and I have no idea under God's Son. Why they accepted me because the audition was that that wow. Because a bugle is pitching different than a tuba. So it's like different. It's like a different size of mortars. Right? Yeah. You have to know that the nomenclature you know to fire off that way to show this to

Pete Turner  22:11  
the audience's sake. When you're saying beautiful don't picture the guy with like, like two feet of brass pipe. This is

Unknown Speaker  22:18  
his contribution

Unknown Speaker  22:20  
is like the size of a sousaphone. But it's a tuba basically. Yeah. And it just faces forward directly downrange. Yeah, it's it's it's like a mark marching tuba.

Pete Turner  22:29  
The person in front of Brian when he's playing is getting the ship.

Unknown Speaker  22:34  
Especially the ones that were in front of me absolute right. That's how this thing's orient.

Pete Turner  22:37  
So it's, it's like he's got a tuba oriented towards the front of the band on his shoulder. So just because otherwise, you're going to be a picture.

Unknown Speaker  22:46  
That's not you.

Unknown Speaker  22:46  
That's not me.

Pete Turner  22:48  
Can you imagine a beautiful char charged with the God was

Unknown Speaker  22:51  
let me get a rolling on that impersonation of a beautiful sound does it?

Unknown Speaker  23:00  
KX on the show like it's a win for me. Because you know,

Unknown Speaker  23:08  
if the audience knows that there's a brass instrument and you have these buttons that you push down there valves are pistons right now on bugles. At that time, they had only one piston in the front, and they had thing what's called a rotor on the back using your left thumb. So you had one finger on the front and the thumb in the back. absolutely zero coordination. It sounded like crap. But the Staff Sergeant that was in charge, said to me it goes, this is a lousy audition, but I'm going to pass you anyway. Because I think I know what you can do.

Unknown Speaker  23:39  
So potential, just like any speaker gave me potential.

Unknown Speaker  23:42  
He gave me the opportunity. Yeah. And so I was not going to fuck that up. Right. They gave me that opportunity. That was Staff Sergeant David Wolfe, DC wolf. He later became the executive officer of the comment on zone and the leader in the ad, when he was telling you that the you like you to get the leading rest you and then you sit there and your ears if you like, she jumped in and you and you're like trying to do push ups, the whole kind of thing. It was a tough guy. He was a tough guy. I'll never forget the time that he was starting up a soccer team because over at little creek, the Navy base played against the seals. They had the SEAL team that was down there. And those guys, they couldn't play soccer, but they just ran the field like there was no tomorrow. And so I went to one game, and I thought that this was pretty good. This is that. So I went to one of my private lessons with staff sergeant wolf. And then he walk I walk in and he looks at me, he goes, put your hand down. So put my horn down. He comes over and I'm in the trolley uniform, the regular short sleeve shirt, and he just grabs me by the buttons and throws me up on the wall. No, yeah, and he goes, so I heard that you play soccer and you don't want to play on my team.

Unknown Speaker  24:54  
Like officer gentlemen video reenactment with him and his men doing flutter kicks.

Unknown Speaker  25:03  
I don't want to teach high school music.

Unknown Speaker  25:05  
Oh, I'd love to be on the soccer team.

Unknown Speaker  25:11  
Shame in some semblance of cohesion. That's how Marines operate to get, you know, to inspire people to do great things. But that's a cool, that's a great opportunity that and I think again, you say you don't want to fuck this away. So you you practice you practice you practice like how many hours you practice in. Once you make the team what's the schedule like once you're on the drama Bugle Corps and talk talk a little bit about individual practice what what type of commitment you have to make to be be a professional at this and then talk a little bit about the the tour schedule that you guys keep with the Marine Corps drum and Bugle Corps.

Unknown Speaker  25:49  
Oh, alright. that's a that's a lot of it. That's a lot of questions. When at that time, the Marine Corps had three drum and Bugle Corps who one of the eighth and I there was one at 29 palms and it's one in Albany, Georgia. At one point after World War Two, the Marine Corps had approximately 15 drumming view quarters drum and Bugle Corps throughout and bases that no longer exists like camp Elmore.

Unknown Speaker  26:17  
Canada more Do you know camp I'm more know outside of North

Unknown Speaker  26:23  
Norfolk Yeah, I was Tidewater guy for a while. 10 fastcompany. But yeah, Camp Elmore? Yes. Gone.

Unknown Speaker  26:28  
Yeah, right. That is that is long gone. Even Hawaii had to drum and Bugle Corps one that pearl and one the K Bay County OE Bay. But when I got to the drum and Bugle Corps, and that was in May of 1984, after I graduated the School of Music. I had to go in and just practice every night, and just every night because all the music is memorized. And they wanted me in the music and motion or the drill, the drill program, which was about at that time was 2021 minute program. They wanted me in right away, they already had a slot for me, even though my contract wasn't guaranteed. They they trained earlier that year and you Maverick zona, and they were just waiting for me to fill in that that hole that was already there, right. So there was a missing man formation prior to I got me getting there. So when I got there, it was just every night, every chance I had memorize the music, memorize the music, memorize the music. I had one week to learn the drill music and one week to learn the drill. And then I did my first Friday and I prayed the two weeks after I got to Washington DC my first drill program,

Unknown Speaker  27:38  
how do you feel before you stepped on to win let's just give some analogies it this is the the Super Bowl of drum and Bugle Corps for the audience. It really is that they are performing in front of presidents and senior dignitaries and world leaders and celebrities at times. And when you're a young kid, you weren't that young, you were older than the average bear. And you're stepping onto that field. Obviously a little more life experience with more confidence comes with that. But once you do that, once you step foot because you're not just sitting in a chair playing this horn. Now you're marching you have multiple things. This is a significant emotional event.

Unknown Speaker  28:18  
This was this was the magic of at that time major Truman Crawford because in the drum corps world, he is a less legend. He's just an absolute musical legend. He has over 700 titles of music that he has arranged. He had the two World Championship drum corps. He's he was the director of the Air Force drum and Bugle Corps, unfortunately, they dissolve. And then the Marine Corps A few years after that picked him up as a staff arranger and later became the became a warrant officer, but the magic of Colonel Crawford. At that time, he had five, five master sergeants marching in the drum and Bugle Corps, and I was a lance corporal at the time, it was extremely intimidating. Because some of these some of these master sergeants were Vietnam vets. They've been through hell and back and how many? And here I am, I have to I have to march and play and perform and execute as well as these masters.

Unknown Speaker  29:17  
In how many songs you have to memorize. How long is each routine?

Unknown Speaker  29:21  
Oh my gosh. Well, I can tell you that there's so many facets to the German Bugle Corps, isolated they do a marching show. And then they also have a repertoire of another 10 or 15 selections for concerts or static concerts where they just stand and perform. The drill program was six or seven selections plus that and they call that another thing called the ceremonial book, the national anthem anthems to other countries you know, things to bring the colors and post them important starboard. And then the other thing which we have to describe to our audience is the Friday night parade, Marine barracks, Washington DC. That is a holy ground it's it is the custodians of tradition and ethos for the marine colors reside there.

Unknown Speaker  30:09  
lags and

Unknown Speaker  30:10  
the host of the Marine Band hosted the marine German Eagle the oldest house in Washington DC. Its crib yet where the four star lives yeah hey general burger he's moving in right now. That's right.

Unknown Speaker  30:24  
I think the spinning rifles the guys to do that. That's

Unknown Speaker  30:27  
anytime you see anytime you see a ceremonial action from Washington DC, and you see that blue uniform, it is from eighth and ninth

Unknown Speaker  30:34  
in the the honor guard that lays all the fallen warriors to rest and Arlene cleanse the body bear the

Unknown Speaker  30:41  
body bears. Yeah. And then they it's also the training ground for the Marines who go to Camp David, or the White House communication agency which started after I after I right there,

Unknown Speaker  30:51  
the highest visibility post probably in the Marine Corps. And to get there. I don't want Brian undersell himself to get in that arena, again is the NFL of all things, military, music or marching or whatever, whatever arena you want to cage that in, but to be there that it is the best. They're the most highly screened, where they send people out and he's lucky because you had someone vouch for you basically, you know, you know, true, you know, true vouches for you and, and says, Yeah, we want to take this guy in or Dallas did. And, you know, you get you get in there. And even though you screw up the audition, you make it you make the 18 man, like I think that's, that's, that's,

Pete Turner  31:36  
if you think about it in terms of other things. And I don't like the sports analogy, because that too easy. But if you played all marine softball, you know, you're the best softball player, like the best second baseman they can find in all of the Marines. So you're playing your instrument. There's literally nobody else that is

Unknown Speaker  31:54  
I don't know, I don't know if that's a good analogy that because I think the best second base would be like the guy that infantry didn't want and we like that. Yeah, you're going to softball Yeah, but but in OE place.

Pete Turner  32:03  
Yeah, we'll let you go in the army, their world champion athlete level, each Brigade, you'll have a world class sprinter who just didn't quite make it or whatever it was. And so there are people all around that have incredible chops. They just didn't get into the door like you did, you know. So when you are doing this on, let me ask you on the trumpet, like you can have a rack for music and you can read music

Unknown Speaker  32:23  
and everything is memorized and drunk, right? That's what I figured out. Yeah,

Pete Turner  32:26  
yeah, there's no there's no room for that. So you're talking hundreds of arrangements. Hey, this is Pete Turner from Lyons rock productions. We create podcasts around here and if you your brand or your company want to figure out how to do a podcast, just talk to me. I'll give you the advice on the right gear. The best plan is show you how to take a podcast that makes sense for you that's sustainable, that scalable and fun. Hit me up at Pete at breakdown show com Let me help I want to hear about it can hundreds of arrangements and variations off those and everything in the

Unknown Speaker  32:57  
normal season. Under determined myself. It was about 75 musical selections, okay, that would accrue from January to December. And that includes drunk cadences special concert, special requests, things like that everything was arranged. In house German Crawford arranged everything at that time, he had a series of other arrangers to take care of the percussion arranging, and series of enlisted men doing the instructional work. So but so we came to his Thursday rehearsal, you had to be spot on, or else you'd hear about it.

Pete Turner  33:29  
I'm sure. Well, that's it's not time for that its

Unknown Speaker  33:31  
performance. There was absolutely no time for that. Yeah. And especially in DC, where it's parade season, because every Friday night, the evening parade at Marine barracks is historic. There's always a guest of honor, usually a common down to the Marine Corps assistant Commandant. And they could have they have guest lieutenant generals as senior officers. And then they bring in the Secretary of the Navy or someone this or someone that's always a guest of honor. And then they see the pageantry of the Marine Corps, from soup to nuts from that initial bugle call from a drum corps marine to the final call of the day taps by a drum corps marine on the ramparts and everything in between is watching the Marines marching together as a collective unit right at that is that is there's ceremonial

Unknown Speaker  34:19  
ceremony ceremonial. fashion, I put it

Unknown Speaker  34:22  
it is what a general burger, just say that is the finest example that is emblematic of the discipline of the individual marine at the at the highest level.

Unknown Speaker  34:31  
You did your homework,

Unknown Speaker  34:32  
he will he just because I'm friends with those guys out at the barracks till this date going to kill their own. Yeah, a Gunny, what's up, brother, if you're listening to the show, which he does. They, he's the drill master. And so everything they do, but general burger got out there and recognize that in front of the entire world when he took the colors of the Marine Corps, the top General, and I think it is very emblematic of that esprit de corps, the history in a tradition that we are so proud of as a branch of the armed forces that we hold very dear 243 years, we never miss a birthday. We never, you know, we never miss a chance for parade. And that's just to remind people, and when we invite our civilian community into witness that I think is probably one of the greatest things they do as well to showcase and highlight. But all they see is this elaborate performance. That is literally time to the minute, you know, plus or minus maybe five seconds. I don't know what their standard is, but it's pretty tight. And you see this unfold, which is even grown with more pageantry and the spotlights and the lighting and in some of the routines they do. And so you it's choreography on the ground, the ground, right? Plus it's memorizing the music plus

Unknown Speaker  35:50  
playing the music. Yeah, I mean, and the thing is, is that the drill and the ceremony has not changed over 100 years. It is the same basic retreat style ceremony that Marines have been doing even before the barracks was positioned to me to no one

Unknown Speaker  36:03  
and there's a dog and there was a dog, chesty, chesty

Unknown Speaker  36:09  
record there was a dog into the

Unknown Speaker  36:12  
dog is it has not been so highly scriber.

Unknown Speaker  36:14  
He got loose. I heard he got loose one time was running across and probably got NJP for that like he got.

Pete Turner  36:21  
Yeah. Is that a bulldog? Like?

Unknown Speaker  36:23  
Yeah, of course. Just course. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker  36:26  
chesty is a bulldog. Yeah. They don't always have they had both men and women. I remember the one of the first ones was Molly marine. And then after Molly left, it's always been chesty. So they may be up to Jesse the 27th. Now, I'm not sure but

Unknown Speaker  36:41  
so you lived in DC, pretty much your entire military career. Yes. Yeah. I mean,

Unknown Speaker  36:48  
but so let's talk about the barracks real quick, Taka, Taka me. Fast forward to you. You're in the band. Now you're leading the band, you become a true core. I'm sorry,

Unknown Speaker  37:01  
john, know your nomenclature. MLS.

Unknown Speaker  37:05  
Totally got card pulled on that one just for the record. But for the drum corps, drum and Bugle Corps,

Unknown Speaker  37:14  
drum corps,

Unknown Speaker  37:14  
drum corps or D, and they're not leading it as a Chief Warrant Officer after they say, hey, this job, you're the guy, you get the nod. And to go into the Chief Warrant Officer ranks is we're talking about this for show you a little mafioso. And that to be in the, in the in the drum corps mafia, which is even smaller than the regular mafia, where your specialist and what you do. And so you're, you're picked, you're the best guy out of the entire Marine Corps to lead this elite group of elite Marines who are elite musicians in front of the world stage.

Unknown Speaker  37:47  
The amazing thing is, is that I was selected by General crew lack, General, out of the Marine Corps, former Commandant of the Marine Corps, and it was General Cadillac, after he was given in the proposal of the other Marines that were, you know, possibilities. He said, picnics and

Unknown Speaker  38:05  
how many were there,

Unknown Speaker  38:06  
three, three. And there was a master Gunnery Sergeant there was a Chief Warrant Officer for and myself a staff sergeant at the time. And according to general crew lack at that time, I was doing what I completed off duty education. So I completed the master's degree. And that was the kicker, education was definitely the key. If you look at my office, you'll see my, my warrant as a warrant officer, next to my master's degree, because they were hand in hand. Yeah. He said, he's going to be looking to the future. I don't want to go back. And that was General krill as

Unknown Speaker  38:37  
well. He was a huge proponent of professional military education. And in fact, he was really one of the best in my opinion, and you've got more accounts under your belt than than me because you and listen at three. I came in at nine. So there was two, I think Gray was my first one. So before them was was your first

Unknown Speaker  38:57  
barrel. I was there for PEX. Kelly, Kelly.

Unknown Speaker  39:00  
Yes. But crew lack was revolutionary in he revolutionized how we do entry level training down here with the crucible flack for that, but he was really instrumental in doctrine and shaping this three block war and the dynamics and fluidity of battling combat. But you're tied to the hip with him, right there was house I know he was in his backyard, which is this elaborate, meticulously inhaler.

Unknown Speaker  39:25  
The difficulty was is that here was at that time, Colonel Truman, W. Crawford, Colonel Crawford, who has had over 40 years was the oldest marine on active duty at the time. And his legacy was just

Unknown Speaker  39:38  
astounding, when you step into the bill, a whole new age was 3333. So pretty young, pretty young guy, and you're, again, center stage, do not what is talk, tell us about some of the cool people you meet doing this job. I mean, I know this is the point where you just name drop, name, drop name, drop it, you look at the wall in there, I mean, talk just so people can understand. These are the type of people that should up at the barracks, because you can't just buy a ticket and show up. There's a little bit of invite only a list.

Unknown Speaker  40:06  
Well, it goes into the early days, the airline seats in the early days, when I was a lance corporal and the corporal and the sergeant, you know, I was executing on the parade deck. So I never really got to meet the higher ups every once in a while they had and CEOs lead a parade. So the officers had the night off. And I was able to do that. I think that my very first taste. Thank you for reminding me. My very first taste of it. When German Monday was the commandant. He wanted the CEOs to do a Friday night parade. He says if you can have the staff and CEOs take over the officer bullets, I want to see the CEOs and the army. Right. And that was General Monday. And so perfect. So I was selected to be the director of the DMV. That night. The guest of honor changed at the last minute. The guest of honor was good. It was now going to be Bob Hope. No cheese. Wow. General Monday was advised. Well, we put better put the officers back and general Monday said no.

Unknown Speaker  41:05  
Wow. They say he

Unknown Speaker  41:06  
says the NCO is will run the parade will run the parade. And then at that time, Colonel Crawford spoke with general Monday he goes, do you want me to come back to direct the concert? Because now I if you selected couple Dix than I trust your judgment. So that was my very taste huge taste. And and of course, you meet Bob. We met Bob Hope huge, absolutely. fantastic evening. So I did a three number concert. And after after the concert was over in the prayed, and after the taps was founded, they had this thing what's called a crescent. And all the leaders are within that Crescent. And then the guests of honor and a few of them and his friends are guests, you know, go through and shake your hand and tell you how wonderful you are. And you know how appreciative that they are. And that was it. That was my that was my first taste. And it was Bob Hope skis and and for and for the younger people that are listening to this podcast, Google Bob Hope My god,

Unknown Speaker  42:04  
he's got a couple airports in a bathroom and Mr. us Oh, yeah, the USA would not be what it is today without by Pope and but you've got presidents rolling through

Unknown Speaker  42:15  
your presidents have you played for all of them? All of them since I was in there? Yeah. So Reagan was the first one and a couple of former presidents to all right. So. And that's and that makes it worthwhile is because even though someone is in a position of responsibility, elected officials, they're always invited back to the barracks. And if they want to come to the barracks, they do. So sometimes you see a former Secretary of Defense as former Secretary of the Navy, they don't want to impede on anything, they don't want to obstruct. They just want to sit in and enjoy. I remember one time I was at an event, and all of a sudden, there's Chelsea Clinton. And now her father was already out of office. And she came to the line. And some of the Marines didn't recognize her. So of course I did. I'm like, What are you doing here? And she goes, this is the best went down. A lot. She She bought a girlfriends from school.

Unknown Speaker  43:03  
It's exclusive to a lot and something the general public doesn't widely know about because our PR and marketing sucks in the Marine Corps to large release.

Unknown Speaker  43:13  
And yeah,

Unknown Speaker  43:14  
yeah, if Hey, Marine Corps, if you're listening, pick up the game on that. But

Unknown Speaker  43:17  
we go, are we going there?

Unknown Speaker  43:19  
No. Yeah, we could devolve quickly. But I think that the point is, like, if you're invited to the barracks, or you have a friend that works, and they invite you in, do not miss the opportunity. You go so kick ass you go. Yeah, well, you've seen it. Pause that high concept. But Hi.

Unknown Speaker  43:37  
2016 that was the year after I retired? Yes, because I was part of the West Coast tour. And then we would perform it all the military bases in Southern California and then do some

Unknown Speaker  43:47  
winter break and kids across bed. Hi. You know, I'm saying this, like, it's so exclusive that I don't they just show up and they think it's Oh, these are the Marines and they're they're there. They're spinning the rifles playing the horn drums. Man to beat to be in it to be able to see that this one stop shop. And it's a phenomenal thing because they come out of you know, the winter training out of Yuma and then they start this other tour and yeah, Carlsbad high right up the street here.

Unknown Speaker  44:16  
I remember we played it, you know, over a Poway we play a Point Loma did all the local high schools as it the Navy Marine Corps Academy that's here on the coast. Yeah, we any local schools, we try to that well, at least at that time, we distributed as much manpower as we could. performances at the Rose Bowl always garnered a great a great audience from Los Angeles. Vegas. Can any of you guys play at outside of live TV? Usually areas overseas have always been tremendous. in Sydney, we played at the Polo Grounds. That's big. Yeah. And that was that was kick ass. Well, we were kicking something as we're marching on the field, as opposed because it was after the Polo match, boy, road apple. Road. Apple's

Pete Turner  45:03  
let me ask you this, because anytime you put a bunch of service members together in some kind of a marching formation, someone is going to pass out. It happens all the time. We were at a we were at Nixon's birthday celebration this year. And he had a little Honor Guard there and one guy had to lean against the other guy for and it's it's not because they're not ready. And then I tough it's just because if you put 400 humans in a box,

Unknown Speaker  45:28  
you have to train to stand at that ceremonial position for hours. Right. And that that's part of what they do is when you're drilling at the barracks, whether you're a body bearer, whether you're a ceremonial marcher Color Guard, DMV band, you are trained to march and be able to stand there. Standing a clarinet artist did not go through boot camp has to stand and do you know some hundred and 50 funerals a year when the band does a full honors funeral. So they understand that, but it's the physical training of that. And the big thing which everyone tends to forget, which the drum corps is just known to do is that the training starts the day before you have to be well hydrated and well rested and your mind clear. And that has to be on the day. But it's a significant physical endeavor. It's about and sometimes you can't because of operational tempo. But if I knew that we had an event event on Tuesday in the summer in DC, we had to do another one on Thursday, Wednesday was going to be well okay, we're doing swim qual training, get them in the pool cool down. And then there's make sure they hydrate on Wednesday because Thursday they're going to be standing in the sun and

Pete Turner  46:33  
then also because it is such a hot muggy place. Do you guys have a special like dry cleaning allowance? Cuz I mean, I it's a five shirt place for me a day like I cannot like I'm instantly sweaty and funky.

Unknown Speaker  46:45  
Yeah. And that that was always a subject for you know, I don't want to smell this bad from from the officers at the barracks. I want to look good and cut the budget. You know, everyone says everyone thinks that they're going to do well by cutting a budget. Well, we don't need dry cleaning. It's like and then you see, you see the Marines from the German Bugle Corps because they were a scarlet tunic. And after performing in front of the evil Jima memorial and Arlington Cemetery, and they do the drill show, you look at them and they're just dripping and they're soaked right through the coat. Right? And you like, Yeah, we got to get these things cleaned for Friday night.

Unknown Speaker  47:21  
Some things you don't want to cut corners. That's

Unknown Speaker  47:22  
right. And when I first got there, every marine was provided at least in the drum corps for Scarlet coax, and to blues blouses. And for ceremonial drink guys

Unknown Speaker  47:33  
are traveling all over the world.

Unknown Speaker  47:35  
In my 30 year career, I averaged a little over 100 days away out of bed a year.

Unknown Speaker  47:43  
Wow. And probably 5060 different countries. At least I bet

Unknown Speaker  47:48  
I've my career spanned four continents. So I think that's a pretty good marker. And then is there a drum corps mate? Like a roadie for you guys could mean the, you know, the flute player. I got blessed and the piccolo player. You guys are great. But you know, I got this giant tuba. Yeah. And guess who loads the plane?

Unknown Speaker  48:11  
Ladies, you guys don't ever we don't have

Unknown Speaker  48:13  
we don't have roadies. So when so the chat was gets a buddy but not the band. It's like this is like when the drum corps would go. Do a Friday night parade on Friday, we would leave Saturday morning to go to upstate New York to march in a parade and then do a drill show that night and return on Sunday. Well, after you do the parade, don't stay in the club that late that night. Now going to your up at zero dark. Yeah. Once you get to Andrews Air Force Base, we're loading the plane ourselves. And after that, we get up to New York, I load the plane and guess what we do load the truck and get the five ton and then unload the truck, do the parade go boom, boom, boom, all the way down the line. And then when you're unloading gear, you're also unloading besides luggage, everything has to be pressed out. So we brought crates of irons, crates of iron boards, extension cords, anything that we would we could possibly is all about logistics in the end. Yeah. And sometimes on when we the DMV grew in size, at least in the field show. We only could grow as large as how many could fit on the plane. Okay.

Unknown Speaker  49:18  
The limiting factor. Is that limiting factor? Yes.

Unknown Speaker  49:21  
So all these countries, all these presidents, all these communists, I mean, 30 years to capture that. I mean, all the things you've seen, and we were talking about this earlier, as well as a lot of the great Commandant's some leave an impression some some don't. But I want to talk about some of the significant changes to which we were discussing earlier is, you know, we've seen a lot of changes to and I want to bring this up because I don't like to ever make it an issue because for us in the Marine Corps, especially this is what's important about gays in the military is when you enlist in the military. I remember this when I sign the nines, you basically sign and say, I am not a homosexual.

Unknown Speaker  49:59  
Yeah, say that I had a problem with that in 1983. I didn't understand what they said to me. I thought I thought they asked if I was a homeowner.

Unknown Speaker  50:09  
But did you join under that? I get the joke. Yeah. But you knew even at that, that time when you were listening in military, you were gay, or you're a homeowner, you're not a check Now, obviously, because there's no fraudulent anything if you're not a homeowner. And then we see all these policy changes from the Clinton administration. Don't Ask, Don't Tell. And what happened, what happens and I've No, I haven't done this, because I've got a lot of friends who are are gay, I've known plenty of game Marines. For the record, I've always never had an issue with it. I've always been of the mindset, I don't care what's between your legs, I care what's between your ears, I don't care what you do outside of the office, I care what you do in the office, and how you contribute to the team. That's always been the most important thing to me. And to think that we haven't had amazing service members who were female, or gay or had, you know, something out of this norm, that's always been so taboo, we just never want to talk about that, right? Because culturally, the public doesn't want access to all those people. All that diversity is what makes our military so fucking amazing. And to think that they weren't there back in the Roman times to today's military, your fool, because we've always been supported by great people. And then when the policy changes under clinton, how are you feeling at that time? Well, then fast. And then let me do this two sided question. How are you feeling when that policies change from homeowner to Clinton don't so until and then we fast forward to Obama, where they lift the ban.

Unknown Speaker  51:39  
When I first enlisted, it was a non issue.

Unknown Speaker  51:43  
The Marine Corps or the military, I should say, had greater problems at that time, they had something that was known as three strikes, you're out. So you could have three offenses, you could be charged, and it would take the third offense to get you kicked out of the military. You could have popped on to your analysis one or two times and they said you can't do this anymore. And it was the third time to get out. I had in the DMV, there was a master surgeon, peach of a man, best person I ever knew. He spent nine months in Leavenworth for beating up a captain who made a pass at his wife. He was a sergeant at the time. So this is the way the Marine Corps was in the 1970s. And 1980s. He went, he beat up a captain. He admitted it. He went to prison. So at Leavenworth when he was done with the sentence at nine months. What did they do? They sent them back to me on it

Pete Turner  52:43  
makes us yeah, adapt and overcome, adapt

Unknown Speaker  52:46  
and overcome. But do you feel the pressure, the pressure, like a pressure valve release when at least when it goes from non issue? People? But if but if you were to come out at that time, you could have faced administrative separation under policy. And then Clinton says don't ask, don't

Unknown Speaker  53:02  
tell a few people did. Right? Because it was

Unknown Speaker  53:08  
in my case, it was about I was mission oriented. I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to march forth. Yeah, I wanted to proceed. I did not I did not want to be stifled by my personal life.

Unknown Speaker  53:20  
But did you feel being in that that small segment of American population when that policy was implemented by Clinton, a little bit of release of pressure or it didn't make a difference? And then Obama says, Look, it's open homosexuality and military, and you were on active duty. When that happened? How did you feel when that first day comes? And knowing here for the listeners, generally, most, who is a great comment at the first day of year had some wins and losses. And he was probably the most adamantly opposed to all the silver springs leaders to say, No, no, no, we don't want to do this. The argument is, this isn't a petri dish for social experimentation. But when the policy was executed, he was the first one to salute and say Aye Aye, sir. And we implemented the policy How did that affect you that singular day? I know the answer.

Unknown Speaker  54:13  
Well, there's a lot of questions there. Once once they once don't ask don't tell was lifted. And general Amos says, Roger that, sir.

Unknown Speaker  54:24  
I just marched on,

Unknown Speaker  54:26  
because that's what you did before. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker  54:27  
it is it really was a non issue. And even in the infantry community. There There was not a ripple in the pond the next day at work it wasn't I think, those who are homophobic and have issues with diversity in any way shape or form. I think you know, you know Brian, I'm I wake up tomorrow in the Marines, the Marines are gonna show information with feather boas and you know, alter their uniforms and what maybe the army did, I don't know maybe there, maybe a Navy, we get back, get back on the Air Force for more but

Unknown Speaker  55:00  
postcards letting me

Unknown Speaker  55:04  
know we love all you guys. But we're just making a point is there was not a ripple in the pond. And I think that is a testament to the fact that institutionally, the value we place on the individual, not the stereotype,

Unknown Speaker  55:19  
my partner at the time was now my husband. We could not have been in the better place. We

Unknown Speaker  55:24  
had a Paul Paul, you're not here. You're working poor working slob. We're working? Yeah, yeah. He should be here for this master's degree

Unknown Speaker  55:30  
and a nurse with a master's degree in health care, and he is making sure that we're being fed today. Yes.

Unknown Speaker  55:42  
But we could not have been in a better place at the Marine barracks because the officers were so welcoming. They knew Paul and I live together. But we just never mentioned it. When there was officer functions. Paul was always invited. He would walk into the officers club at Marine barracks, which is known as center house. And so the officers would see Paul and they go, Oh, Hello, Mr. Andrews, and it goes, is this the drink that you want today? You know, and of course, they just be pouring him straight whiskey. They loved Paul. And if there was a events with the drum corps or anything else that was going on, it was always invited. Don't Ask Don't Tell was still empowered. The general officers knew who Paul was he he's living with Brian. That's fine. Yeah. So the generals at the barracks, the Sergeant Majors at the barracks to see you enlisted. They all knew Paul Andrews. And that was, that was a blessing. And then the day that don't ask, don't tell got rescinded. There's a couple Marines that came by the offices and said, congratulations, and I thank them. And I just went right back to work it out.

Pete Turner  56:44  
Do you do your job,

Unknown Speaker  56:45  
even when the Supreme Court was making that decision? Making sure that it was federal law that you can get married? bar could have taken off of work? I could have just walked down the street to the Supreme Court and just been with the rallies. And the signs. And some Marines were just like bobbing their head, my offices. Shouldn't you be somewhere, sir? Yeah, I was like, No, no, no, my, my responsibilities here. My duty is here. And I will stay here. And then we got the news. And then we may have we may have had a glass of wine that night. But that was it. There was a parade Friday night.

Pete Turner  57:17  
You had to get ready for back to business. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker  57:20  
Yeah. Because it was it what happened in June. I love it. And so the next day. That's when we started planning our wedding. We got married the following September.

Unknown Speaker  57:30  
And now you guys are down here and Sony sin dog. Love it. I read it to me. Yes. I already like him never met him. But there's a great picture of them in the living room down there. Like I like this guy. Right? He's redhead. So Paul, you've already got a couple points.

Unknown Speaker  57:45  
Yeah, he grew up on the Gulf Coast. And so it's miserably hot. And he the one thing that he did not want to do, we did not want to stay in DC after I retired. So he resigned his position at med star hospital. And you know, he he had a very great career there. And we both took a risk and coming out here. So and now this weather is conducive to the both of us. We both spent our time in the sun,

Unknown Speaker  58:12  
Susie. And again, we there's so many, there's so many dynamics of like, you know, the career you've led the the people you've met the the impact that you've made on all the other musicians and Marines

Pete Turner  58:26  
and going from enlisted to warrant, you know, commission? Well.

Unknown Speaker  58:33  
I want I want to I want to go back because there's two more questions that we did not answer was good. All right. And was about Don't Ask, Don't Tell. All right. And the 1980s don't ask don't tell did not exist. So if you were if you were gay, you just kind of kept it in, which was not just the military, that was basically America. So it was just a giant social norm, there was no different than anywhere else. People just want to do the jobs. They want to go dancing on Friday nights, you know, have a good time, you know, and then the do what they had to Monday through Friday. So that was just normal. When don't ask, don't tell came through. Interesting thing was is that the big person that was not advocating so much was a senator from Georgia. His name was Sam Nunn. And so he had special hearings. c span was kind of brand new. I just got cable TV. So I would if I was at lunch, I would run to go see c span on during noon, Chow. And I would just want to see what was going on in these hearings. And Senator none was making a big display about it. You know, he brought, you know, congressmen and senators down to a Navy base in Georgia and the cramped quarters. This is going to be conducive. They're going to turn gay, you know, you know, and I was just feeling about this tall. Because they were such condemnation, with the guards that it took a while. let that slide. I'll advance a few years. Don't Ask Don't Tell is been rescinded. married. One of my final several morning I did, which I did not have to do was a ceremony in Washington DC. And one of the guests of honors was Sam Nunn.

Pete Turner  1:00:09  
So You turned them gay.

Unknown Speaker  1:00:10  
So

Unknown Speaker  1:00:16  
I made sure that our public affairs, Stephen co was with me. I said I want to photograph with Senator not. And so they were they were moving in from place to place. I am actually descended from a my grandfather is originally from Macon, Georgia. So I said excuse me, Senator, and I was in uniform. I guess you have a moment for someone who's from Macon, Georgia. And he was delighted. So I came over, we shook hands. And I told him he wanted to know about me. I knew he served in the Coast Guard was being honored that night. I just wanted to shake his hand and I said, Well, thank you for your service. And I said that, and he thanked me for my career. And I said, You're welcome. And that was it. I didn't. I didn't point fingers. I didn't trip them. I didn't want to spill and hors d'oeuvre on nothing. I wanted to make sure I shook his hand professional.

Unknown Speaker  1:01:02  
Yes, like you did throughout your entire career.

Brian Dix  1:01:05  
Well, do you want the good general Amos story? Yes.

Unknown Speaker  1:01:09  
I've only told this to a few people. All right. more side effects

Unknown Speaker  1:01:15  
only because you, you were discussing with regards to general Amos, the last of the Joint Chiefs that held out with the guards to don't ask don't tell dissolving. He was the last one. I was called down to the Pentagon with other senior enlisted and officers from the barracks. General Amos wanted to discuss about the upcoming preseason. And this is early January, February timeframe. So I'm sitting in this office. And of course, you're in the comment on so office, everyone is just happy to see you, you know, as much as much as I get all the angry emails, you know, the front of the Pentagon, if you're sitting in the office, would you like coffee? Would you like water? We have something over here, you know, so I'm just like, I'm taking advantage of it. The other officers kind of standing on the side, I'm having a nice cup of coffee, they enjoying it. They said, oh, here's the TV. So they turn on CNN. And of course on CNN, there the talking about general Amos is the only member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff holding out and I'm sitting there and just like Oh, God, and I'm just going to walk into his office right after this, right. So they're going on it was about maybe eight or nine minutes, and then they went to something else. And then we get called in. And we're sitting in the room. And there's Joel Amos just talking away. wanting to know about this and that and certain events that are happening during prayed season. He wants to make sure that he's part of it. They live at the barracks, they want to know what's going on just talking about certain things. Then all of a sudden, he turns to me and he goes and Brian, I have to tell you something. I go Yes, General he goes Bonnie and I really appreciate the amount of Broadway show tunes that the DMV has been playing lately. I was like in my mind I just wanted to stand up and go with jazz

Unknown Speaker  1:03:01  
hands

Unknown Speaker  1:03:02  
with big old

Unknown Speaker  1:03:04  
said thank you very much.

Unknown Speaker  1:03:08  
The Marines are enjoying it and because of the audience reactions when you do Jersey Boys and this man but you just keep a level head and keep a cool I'm not sure if the other officers in the room were actually put two and two together. I actually mentioned it to another officer that was in that room I mentioned to him about three years later. And he goes I never put two and two together. That's just excellent. Yeah. But him and Bonnie are just great people over the top super human beings there they really are so let's

Pete Turner  1:03:43  
have you come back because we didn't get out everything we think we've been really got the full way through even half of your incredible career and lot enough praise upon you for

Brian Dix  1:03:54  
I had a listing of every Commandant their favorite music and everything that they did for the comment on so

scott huesing  1:03:58  
we'll get we'll get back to them. But anything you want to talk about like projects you got coming up a website where people can find you the

Brian Dix  1:04:06  
Brian Dix calm. And one of the big things that I'm doing now is I'm working with symphony orchestras, large bands who are providing music for veterans concerts, or patriotic concerts, because normally orchestras and bands will do like some type of pops concert, you know, and so you know they they wind up they wind up doing a lot of movie music, people who served our country they were trained mentally and physically they are challenged all the time. So you don't have to down grade the music. Yeah, give them give them that challenging music, give them something that they look forward to. I'm just tired of going to pops concert say what do you think of this repertoire? And you know this the theme from ET and you come up

Scott Huesing  1:04:50  
so you're writing so much Beethoven you can do that. Also if people want to find your your schedule or anything like more about

Scott and Brian  1:04:56  
Brian Dix.com

Brian  1:05:00  
a Marine with an army name. This was the break it down show