My brother is a member of Bugles Across America, a volunteer organization that provides a LIVE Taps performance at veterans' funerals (the government provides minimally a pre-recorded performance on a CD). He is one of the many buglers who do this, and he has done it for several years now. On 9/11, buglers like my brother take their instruments with them, and they play Taps at the exact four moments of the airplane crashes on that day--they do it in public and wherever they are at the time. While my brother had one venue planned (the beach), he tried to honor the "wherever" moments. He simply would take his trumpet with him for the time span, then exit his car and play. People would sometimes stop and observe; at one point a person stopped her car, let down her window, then said "thank you" before moving on. I caught the first three performances (first in the parking lot of a Stop and Shop, second at Westport Beach, and third, at the Fairfield, CT train station). Never a dry eye. Never forget. So proud of my brother and these wonderful volunteers.
@yeshanghai@365projectlinda@taffy@grammyn@jgpittenger@danette@888rachel Thank you all. My brother provides Taps at many services and he explains that he gets very emotional--he allows it, hopefully, to play out in the instrument. Watching him prepare is also an experience. He stands with his instrument crossed and looks straight or around left and right. He puts the instrument to his lips, blows out (to clear it). He wets his mouth, positions his fingers (they are fixed throughout--no need to switch keys), and then he places the mouthpiece to his lips, closes his eyes and plays the most wonderfully balanced tempo of Taps. I don't think anyone can resist the emotional response at the first note, and at seeing my brother take it all in for the sake of others. I am enormously proud of him. I know the recipients of a taps being performed by a musician is also a great comfort.
September 16th, 2015
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