The Minot Air Force Base theater has fallen on some tough times the last couple of years. Once the entertainment mecca of the Minot Air Force Base, the projection booth and auditorium have been stripped of their move projection equipment, victims of a rule that no longer allows ticketed movies in the facility.
But today is Saturday, and today is different. It’s just past 1300 and as I walk toward the doors of the theater I can hear music coming from inside. I didn’t arrive here by accident; First Sergeant Christine Shoup made the Northern Sentry aware of a poster distributed throughout the base that invites the Musicians of Minot AFB to Come See, Play, or Learn…music.
The band inside is primarily four musicians, who are the foundation of a band that started while SrA Lucas Robertson, SSgt Logan Moore, SrA Ryan Koch and SrA Marcus Campbell were stationed at Fairfield Air Force Base in England as part of a bomber task force.
“We started over there, and now we’ve come back here, so I guess you can say we are an international band” laughs one of the members. It all kind of comes together every Saturday at the Minot Air Force Base Theater at 12 Noon to 6:00 PM, and sometimes beyond.
“Like the poster says, “Come play guitar, drums bass” and even if “they don’t know how to play, they can learn” says Logan Moore. The group would prefer that you have your own instrument, but the group is resourceful and “even if someone needs an instrument there are resources on base and in town” continues Moore.
Through Social Media and by posting their schedule in the Northern Sentry, the group hopes to grow and include all people who play an instrument “or want to play an instrument.”
While talking to the group I was able to pick up a couple of names of trumpet players that could be interested in playing in my group, The Brass Band of Minot. Musicians are just kind of that way; they attract other musicians. From my perspective, these musicians could not have come to a better community than Minot. Long known for the many unique arts programs, I am sure that these guys will not only be busy on Saturdays, but once they network with other musicians their schedules will be as busy as they want them to be.
For updates and socialization: https://discord.com/inviteQtPFRBr. The name of the group? “Jeez, I guess we don’t have one yet” and they all laugh. For now, they are musicians, they are together, and they have a purpose and a goal.
