In every case, whatever the case, when recording and mixing the band, Jackson’s approach is to stay out of the way of the music.
“There’s a lot of sound coming off the stage. My goal is to subtly reinforce that without washing it out. That’s one of our most important values,” he adds, “to be low visibility and just as transparent to the musical product as we can be. If nobody knows we’re there, we’re doing our job right.”
For events like the January 2009 inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th U.S. president, Jackson doesn’t mix the show. His focus during inaugurations specifically is on being an intermediary between those calling the show and the front of house position and, perhaps more importantly, managing playback when necessary. That’s an absolute necessity at events the entire world is watching, where nothing can go off the rails.
“One of my most important roles is to ensure that even if every instrument in the band is frozen solid, a block of ice, that there’s still ceremonial music.”
Backups for inaugural celebrations and other large-scale events are usually recorded in the USMB rehearsal facility, and they have resulted in some standout moments for Jackson. Among them, a session featuring Yo Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Anthony McGill and Gabriella Montero recording a quartet piece by composer John Williams for the inauguration.
“Hosting that session in my facility was one of those ‘is this real’ moments,” he says, as has been meeting – if only briefly – each sitting president since the mid-1990s.
Preserving A Link
He’s grateful the USMB took a chance on him early on, and is also proud of his role in preserving the musical heritage of “The President’s Own” and in contributing to it with the recordings he’s engineered. But he seems to take the most pride in being part of an organization that – for those who have served in the Corps and the armed forces in general over the course of time – is integral
in preserving a link to their past.
“That may be a tie for first place when it comes to the best part of the job – the audience reaction,” he says. “I can’t count the number of times that people have talked to me about their experiences,
or their parent’s experiences in the military, and how meaningful it is to them to feel proud about that, or to regain that pride in their service.
“Frequently, we’ll be doing a concert in a high school and the place will be packed, 2,500 people, all sitting on bleachers. We’ll play ‘The Marine’s Hymn,’ for example, and I’ll look over and see a Korean War era veteran struggle to get up from his seat and stand at attention. That is the best part of putting on a Marine Band concert; talking with folks and gaining a deeper appreciation for what they’ve contributed to our military and our country.”
Based in Toronto, Kevin Young is a freelance music and tech writer, professional musician and composer.