Did you know that some famous musicians such as Elvis Presley, Ice-T, Jimmi Hendrix, and Kris Kristofferson served in the military? Consequently, the Minot Symphony Orchestra has its own musician too. Her name is Jessica Salguero. Salguero serves in the 5th Maintenance Squadron, a journeyman for the Aerospace Ground Equipment team (AGE) team that delivers support equipment to the aircraft. SrA Salguero earned her degree in Music Education in 2020 from the University of Redlands and hails from Bloomington, California. Salguero’s sister also serves in the Air Force, and Salguero credits her sister for motivating her to join the Air Force. When asked about what she learned from juggling a military and music career, she explained that it helps her to spend her time wisely and not to feel guilty on those days when it feels as if she hasn’t accomplished anything.

SrA Salguero enjoys writing, playing video games, learning new cooking and baking recipes, and playing bassoon. She doesn’t only play the bassoon; she dabbles with other instruments too such as the clarinet and saxophone. Her favorite instrument is the French horn. When asked why she prefers this instrument over the others, she said, “I just enjoy listening to it and a lot of my favorite pieces have wonderful French horn solos, which has definitely endeared me to the instrument.” SrA Salguero got into playing the bassoon in high school.

SrA Salguero got her start playing music in the fifth grade. She was simply excited to get out of regular class for a while, but then music class unexpectedly changed her tune. She said, “once I started actually learning and playing, it became something that I enjoy and looked forward to doing.” In 2010, when she was a junior in high school, she began to play the bassoon. Her high school music director, John Zambrano, in her words, needed a “guinea pig.” At the time, Mr. Zambrano was earning his master’s degree and completing a class on double reeds—contain two pieces of cane that vibrate against each other when a musician blows against them. He needed a student to teach bassoon techniques to, and Salguero was up for the challenge. She has played the bassoon since then and hasn’t regretted it.

Her performance, along with the two other bassoonists, in “Bassoon It Will Be Christmas” in the Minot Symphony Orchestra’s (MSO) “Holiday Magic” concert on December 14th was endearing, and the audience’s applause was appreciative. When asked about the audition process for the Minot Symphony Orchestra, SrA Salguero stated, “[The audition was] pretty straightforward. You get the excerpts and scales they want you to play, and you just work them up to the best of your ability. Probably the worst of it is actually playing and hoping your nerves don’t get the best of you.” Since getting stationed at Minot AFB, it has given Salguero the opportunity that she wouldn’t have gotten in her hometown of Bloomington, CA. She further explained that being stationed in Minot gave her the chance to be part of an orchestra like the MSO and to have the time to dedicate herself to music; two aspects that surprised Salguero the most about serving in the military and being a musician. Minot is a small city with a big art scene.

When asked what advice she would give new members of the military trying to achieve their personal goals, SrA Salguero explained that accomplishing goals is always possible. Airmen may just need the right drive to pursue their goals and make them happen. She said, “Be ambitious and don’t lose sight of what it is you want in life, even if things get in the way of it. If you really want something, you’ll find a way to get it.”

Salguero serves her country and gives Minot the gift of music with the rest of the symphony. Thank you, on both counts.