CAMP SMITH TRAINING SITE, N.Y. - Nine members of the New York Army National Guard’s 42nd Infantry Division Band will play pop standards at an Independence Day reception in Jerusalem hosted by U.S. Ambassador Thomas Nides.
The eight musicians and a sound engineer make up one of several musical performance teams that perform independently of the 40-Soldier concert band.
“Most of our songs are pretty much classic American pop tunes,” said Staff Sgt. Drew Gansz, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the rock band. “We will be performing iconic tunes from artists ranging from Elton John to Bruno Mars. “
And they are ready to play requests.
“We’re essentially a wedding band, “Gansz joked.
The July 3 reception, held at the Israel Museum — the country’s most important archeological museum — will be the American Embassy’s annual July Fourth celebration.
American military personnel, U.S. and Israeli government officials, members of Congress and perhaps even Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will attend, Gansz said.
The musicians are excited about the mission.
“I feel grateful that the 42nd Division Band was invited to perform overseas,” said Sgt. Mallorie Meyer, a French horn player and singer, and music teacher in civilian life. “Experiences like this are a huge reason why I chose to join and continue to serve.”
First Sgt. Leslie Saroka, a clarinet player and the 42nd Band’s senior enlisted leader, said he was looking forward to visiting another country and experiencing another culture.
“This is a great honor to be able to provide music in this setting,” Saroka said.
The New York National Guard is in the embassy entertainment business because of the New York National Guard’s bilateral relationship with Israel’s Homefront Command, according to Maj. David Myones, the New York National Guard’s State Partnership Program coordinator.
The embassy usually asks for an active-duty band for this annual event, Myones said. In 2022, there was no active military band available, so the embassy staff reached out to the New York National Guard.
A week out from July Fourth, there was no time to respond, Myones said. But New York officials told the embassy they would be interested with more lead time.
This year, the Central Command Band said no to the embassy staff in March, so they turned to New York, Myones said.
“We were able to support with 90 days' notice because we are going to be doing it on the cheap,” Myones said.
The band’s annual training event — a week of rehearsals and a week-long performance tour across New York —was already scheduled for that period, he said. And the New York Air National Guard’s 105th Airlift wing was able to provide transport on one of the wing’s C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.
So, while most of the band plays concerts in Seneca Falls, Lewiston and Tonawanda, Gansz and his ensemble will travel to Israel and perform there.
The rock band learned about the mission in mid-April and plans to play 28 songs, plus 40 they can perform if asked.
Being in an Army band gives musicians the opportunity to serve their nation, bring pride and give thanks to service members and their families all through doing what they love most, performing music, Ganz said.
“A little fun fact, and widely unknown, is that the U.S. Army is the world’s largest employer of full-time musicians,” Gansz said.