The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" Blog

Day 9 – Final Concert & Farewell to Friends by SSG Pamela Terry

After a Saturday full of travel and culture, Sunday brought the promise of a farewell banquet and our final joint concert with the PLA Band.  Our hotel in Nanjing offered an incredible breakfast in their 23^rd floor restaurant with sweeping views of the city.  I’m not ashamed to admit that I didn’t discover any of this until Monday morning.  I opted instead to spend the morning catching up on some sleep and harboring hunger for what we all knew would be a lunchtime feast.  I regretted this only momentarily, when one of my colleagues informed me that he’d had ice cream for breakfast.  Let’s just hope the custom of offering frozen treats on the first meal of the day catches on in the States!

Shortly before noon, we all piled onto buses for transit to Jiuhua Hotel where for the next two hours we were wined and dined by our most gracious hosts.   We rarely have opportunity or permission to drink wine while in uniform, but the toasts at our reception required us to partake.  It was a sacrifice for diplomacy that all were happy to make.  Before long, the commander of the PLA Band invited us to wander about and toast our comrades individually.  Members of TUSAB gathered with their complementary sections in the PLA band, so I snagged SFC Leigh Ann Hinton, my fellow vocalist, for a toast to her stellar singing and the experience of a lifetime. Gan bei!

The wine and Coca-Cola, both staples at these banquets, were displayed on every table. Plates of delicious and exotic foods poured forth in a never-ending stream from every corner of the dining room.  And, if the the toasting and eating and gift-exchanging were not enough, two of TUSAB’s very own were promoted during the banquet.  Congratulations to SGM Dennis Strawley and MSG Terry Bingham!  Official word is still out, but we’re told they may well be the first enlisted members of the US Army to be promoted on Chinese soil.

With bellies full, we headed back to our hotel for a quick change and departed for Frontier Theater to perform our final concert.  Leaders and soloists from each band were invited to a reception at the theater, so SFC Hinton and I made our last appearance together with Dai Yuqiang, China’s most celebrated tenor and the PLA Band’s vocal soloist.  Leigh Ann and I were both a little star struck when the lead dancers from Peony Pavilion made an appearance, as well.  Rumor has it they may be Kennedy Center bound in 2013!  Be assured, if you are anywhere near our nation’s capitol, that’s a performance you will not want to miss.

The US Army Band and the PLA Band once again wowed their audience in Nanjing.  There was a palpable gratitude in every note played: for our experience of being welcomed so fully, for the gift of music that transcends all barriers.  I will never forget standing in the wings during that final concert at Frontier Theater, overcome with pride to be counted as a member of The US Army Band.  Make no mistake.  True diplomacy was manifest in every moment.  That’s just what happens when friends make music together.

Day 8 started with that wonderful breakfast buffet. Seriously, we were saying things like, “hey only 12 more hours until breakfast”. Yes, it was that good. After breakfast, we loaded up the busses and hit the road for Nanjing. Shanghai is so big that it took us about 25 minutes to get out of town at highway speed. The large buildings just kept on coming. Eventually we linked up with the PLA Band and then formed a large convoy (probably 10 vehicles) for the drive to Nanjing. So, not only did we work with the PLA band on stage but we were in harmony on the highway. As wild as driving in China is, it gets tougher when you have a large convoy. The almost constant horn honking was a common theme and other drivers thought nothing of passing on the shoulder at highway speeds. At one point I had to tell CPT Winkels not to look up. He didn’t want to see what was going on in front of us.

The whole drive was about 4 hours or so. We got to see the China countryside much like we did from the high speed rail, just more slowly. There were many farms and small villages along the way. From time to time, the air got quite hazy. I am guessing that the smog was due to many factors, one being that they use a lot of coal for fuel. Pretty much all of the apartments that you could see from the road were heated and cooled by electricity as evidenced by the window units in every visible apartment.

As we arrived in Nanging, it was apparent that this was a different sort of city. Our hotel locations in Beijing and Shanghai were in very new and modern areas of the city but the Hotel in Nanjing was in an area that is not quite so modern. It is however in a quaint neighborhood. COL Palmatier and I ventured out and quickly found a little restaurant for lunch. We did the pointing at the pictures type of ordering. I am still not sure what we ate that day.

After a bit of afternoon downtime, we put on our Blues and headed to the opera. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I figured it would all be sung in Chinese and that the odds any translation were low. I need to mention that at this point in the trip I am still having trouble adjusting to the 12 hour time differences and sitting through concerts has been a challenge for me so far. My body clock is still fighting me. I hoping that I can remain awake for the performance.

Almost immediately, I realized that this is not going to be what I expected. There was not any singing and I would categorize this as more of a ballet. The music score was all prerecorded and was very nicely done. It was not the typical Chinese ensemble that I was expecting but a western style orchestra and western style writing with some Chinese thematic material here and there. The dancing and the costumes were unmistakable Chinese. There was no dancing on point like in the western style ballets and the costumes were flowing styles which in many ways complimented the dancing styles. For a synopsis of the ballet you can click on this link.

It was very apparent that the Chinese are very proud of this production and were very anxious to have us see it and get an even better glimpse of their culture.   All in all, it was a fascinating evening.

By SSG Jennifer Lissak

Between travel, rehearsals, concerts, and banquets, we had been following a fairly strict and regular schedule.  We spent the 7th day of our trip in Shanghai with no schedule.  Luckily, we had a few people in the band looking ahead to set up tours – 1 for the morning, 1 for the afternoon, and a river cruise for the evening.  With my prior lack of knowledge about China, I had originally planned to join in on the cruises, but by that day, heading out alone in Shanghai was no longer intimdating.

The morning started like many others – waking up very early and “calling” home with Skype to talk to my husband and 2 young sons (3 years and 6 months).  I had a few minutes of chatting before my 3 year old went to bed and headed down to our incredible breakfast buffet (2 words: chocolate fountain),

Our plan for the day wasn’t set in stone, but it had a clear start: The Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum.  I had read about the Shanghai Jewish population in my guide book and doubted I would find a time to visit the musem, but thanks to the recommendations of Mr. and Mrs. Woody Goldberg, I knew it was a stop that I had to make.  I grabbed a few other coworkers, hailed a taxi, and made the short trip.

From the outside, the neighborhood was older and not as fancy as Pudong, the up and coming financial district of our hotel.  The museum itself didn’t seem very fancy on the outside – a simple building – but the inside had been recently renovated to appear as it did in the 1930′s when the Shanghainese government helped to bring 23,000 Jewish refugees from Europe.  Our tour guide, a young Shanghainese man named William, began his spiel and I quickly realized we were in for a fantastic history lesson, a reminder of a past we already knew with information we hadn’t known before about China’s help with the situation.

After a couple of hours, we made a quick stop back at our hotel before heading out for lunch.  We decided to take the Bund sightseeing tunnel across the river to explore The Bund, the old European district.  Just looking at the view, it is easy to forget you’re in China and not in Europe!   Unfortunately, it was a dreary overcast day, so my pictures aren’t as beautiful as many other days, but the view was still breathtaking! We walked slowly and enjoyed the view of The Bund and of Pudong along the river turning down a sidestreet looking for a highly recommended restaurant called Lost Heaven.  It’s considered to be Yunnan Folk Cuisine and not standard “Chinese food” as we know it, but it ranks up there as one of my two favorite meals of the entire trip!

We left lunch with one place in mind: The Yu Yuan Garden.  Originally conceived during the Ming Dynasty in 1559 and opened to the general public in 1780, it is a stunning park with a huge tourist mart on the outside for all of us buying souvenirs!  We wandered around the gardens for over an hour before stopping at the famous Huxingting Tea House to “experience” tea and snacks.  With our tea, they brought out quail eggs, salty tofu, and green tea mochi candies.  Definitely an experience!

We finished out the afternoon in the tourist mart to haggle for our souvenirs – love it or leave it, there are very few places with set prices – and from what I saw, many of them had higher prices than you could haggle for!  But, we picked up a few souvenirs and headed back to the hotel to get ready for our dinner cruise.

About 40 of us headed out for a 6 p.m. cruise which provided dinner and a trip up and down the Huangpu River.  The highlight of the cruise for me was sailing past the 2010 Shanghai World’s Fair – a few pavilions were visible from the dark boat and I had hoped to see them on our trip!  Plus, the city lights up so beautifully at night, it’s hard not to be impressed!  Along with a couple other friends, I finished the night with another walk along the river near The Bund, grabbed a drink from the lounge on the 36th floor of our hotel, and enjoyed the beautiful views of the city.

I had originally been hesitant about our trip to China – I had no idea what to expect, but I quickly realized that one free day in Shanghai didn’t cover half of what there is to see and do.  I’m hopeful I’ll be back – I would love to see our friends in the PLA band again, but I may have to take my family with me for a vacation instead!

November 1st, 2012…My first impression of Shanghai was one of absolute awe. The artistic diversity of its skyscrapers coupled with the river that runs through it provides a backdrop for the most amazing views of a city I’ve ever seen. The climate in Shanghai is much warmer than Beijing so the band was in a  great mood on the way over to the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center (SHOAC).  Throughout the sound-check, I noticed that the positive energy of this city is infectious.  We started out the rehearsal with the combined bands of the U.S. Army and Peoples Liberation Army.  During the PLA band’s portion of rehearsal, I went outside to enjoy the weather and noticed various TUSAB members being interviewed by Chinese Communist television or “CCTV.”  One member in particular, SSG Mike Vance, was told that his family’s story was published last year in  BIAN, a Chinese military newspaper.  Apparently the sight of an American family with multiple blond-haired blue-eyed children is astounding to them.

After dinner, I returned early to interview the percussion section of the PLA band.  With the assistance of SSG Jared Morgan, one of our videographers, we captured a detailed desciption of the various traditional Chinese percussion instruments that the PLA band incorporates into their band music.  The timbre of these instruments is unlike anything we hear in the Western world.  It is my hope that the majority of the footage from their masterclass makes it into the documentary. Seeing and hearing the various cymbals, drums and special effects is much more descriptive than anything I can possibly put to paper.

At one point I found myself sitting backstage while the PLA band got ready to enter the stage for their portion of the concert.  Although they were speaking in Chinese, I could clearly see that they are just like us.  Some musicians were talking quietly, others were noodling on their instruments, a few seemed to be in a meditative state of mind and one was cracking jokes.  I smiled and applauded as they filed onto the stage and  took the opportunity to scribble a few notes about what I had experienced thus far.

It was not until we arrived back in the States that I glanced through my notes and came to the realization that all human beings can truly communicate through music regardless of their language, culture or idealogy.  If two voices can connect to create simple two-part harmony, the possibilities of two nations creating a powerfully intricate bond as epic as a symphony are endless.  Let’s hope that the rest of the world listens and that this was just the introduction of an eternal Symphony of Peace.

During the Army Band’s recent 10 day visit to The Peoples Republic of China, travel weary members of Pershing’s Own were afforded the luxury of traveling on China’s new high speed bullet train. This train connects China’s three most populous cities along its east coast; Beijing, Nanjing, and Shanghai. At an average speed of over 320 kph (200 mph), it qualifies as the worlds fastest commercial rail line on regularly scheduled service. Completed in 2011, it allows the 830 mile journey from Beijing to Shanghai to be finished in less than 5 hours with one stop along the way in Nanjing. Built by the Chinese government in an ongoing effort to improve infrastucture it is remarkable in that construction was completed in a little over three years, beginning in 2008 at a cost of over 8 billion dollars, and employing more than 160,000 workers.

The track was laid entirely over slabs of concrete on elevated roadbed to reduce damage from flying ballast of conventional rail lines, as well as offering the smooth ride and even grading needed at these high speeds.  The track runs over two of the worlds longest bridges built especially for this project and has a total of 244 bridges and 22 tunnels along its length.  More concrete was used in this project than in the construction of the Three Gorges Dam .   The rolling stock built by the Siemens corporation in Japan, offers 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class seating with a capacity of approximately 950 passengers per train.  At a cost from around 300 dollars for third class seating, to 1,100 dollars for 1st class, and offering 60 daily trips, it is an affordable and practical alternative to airline travel.

The band traveling alongside our Chinese counterparts boarded the train at Beijing’s south station, a very clean and spacious modern structure which was the utmost in efficiency with us through security and on the train in less than fifteen minutes.  We were seated in 1st and 2nd class coaches which afforded roomy seating and wide windows for viewing the Chinese countryside.  Within minutes we were on our way.  Watching the speedometer at the front of the cabin as the speed increased gradually to 300 kilometers per hour (200 mph), was quite an experience as one was hardly aware of the rate of acceleration due to the incredibly smooth ride and extreme quiet of the train which rarely accompanies such speeds as this.  Riding through the countryside one can’t help but be struck at the juxtaposition of Chinese life as  modern nuclear power plants and high rise apartment buildings dot the landscape alongside farms with workers picking cotton by hand.  Farms that spread out into the horizon as workers tended the furrows with hoes and shovels.  Wagons pulled by oxen and mules.  These farms seem to harken back to a bygone era before modern equipment and farming practices.  Accompanying these farms  one usually observed a small cluster of substandard housing at the end of rough dirt roads.  China truly is in many stages of transition from old to new.  Yet, aside from the obvious effects of the rapid development in this vast country one can’t help but be stuck by the awesome natural beauty of China.   About halfway through our journey we were offered a small lunch and beverage by the very polite and neatly uniformed staff on board.  The dining car at the middle of the train offered other dining options.  After a brief stop at Nanjing station we arrived at our final destination in Shanghai a short time later.

This is a trip few of us will ever forget, and reminds us of  how much can be accomplished when countries can work together sharing technologies and resources to help make this a better world for all of us.  Truly then we can be a world without borders.

From the perspective of a North Carolina speed junkie, it was the ultimate rush to see speeds in excess of 200 mph and pass the slower moving conventional trains on the adjoining tracks like they were standing still.  NASCAR has nothing on this.