The United States Marine Band performed patriotic songs and popular marches at a concert in Alexandria, Virginia in February. All U.S. military band performances are free and open to the public. Many take place in the greater Washington area. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Gunnery Sgt. Brian Rust

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When musicians play music for the president of the United States, they can’t afford to make a mistake.

The flagship bands of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines play not only for politicians but for public audiences throughout the D.C. area.

In addition to boosting morale, these military bands highlight some of the best musicianship in the world, promote cross-cultural understanding and offer creative song selections.

Marines play diverse styles

Founded in 1798, the U.S. Marine Corps Band, known as “The President’s Own,” is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical group. They don’t simply strike up “Hail to the Chief” at formal state dinners, however.

Over the last few years, they have performed creative and diverse musical selections — something for everyone — in their many free shows at the Center for the Arts at George Mason University, the Rachel Schlesinger Musical Hall in Alexandria, Virginia, and at their home base, the John Philip Sousa Band Hall at the Marine Barracks, in Southeast D.C.

Last year, the group’s ensembles performed nearly 500 shows. In addition to pop, Latin, country, R&B and rock ‘n’ roll numbers, they play the experimental compositions of John Cage, a tribute to “Shakespeare’s Birthday,” John Williams’ music from Star Wars, songs inspired by the poets William Blake and Walt Whitman, scores from the film Dracula and other exploratory pieces.

Members of the U.S. Marine Corps Band who officially serve the White House are vetted through blind auditions and a rigorous interview process that can be as selective as any of the world’s top orchestras.

Navy hosts famed musicians

The U.S. Navy’s band, which calls itself “The World’s Finest,” plays around 270 free public concerts each year, performing in six primary groups and several smaller ensembles. They often invite musical stars such as Branford Marsalis, Itzhak Perlman and Vince Gill to the stage.

“The U.S Navy Band is widely recognized as one of the country’s premier musical ensembles, ranked among the world’s finest professional orchestras, that happens to be located right here in the D.C. metro area,” according to spokesperson April Enos.

With such a “wide variety of musical styles,” she said, “the U.S. Navy Band has an eclectic appeal that transcends age, race, ethnicity and culture.”

Highlights from the band’s calendar include a Holiday Concert Series, a Concert on the Avenue summer series, and its U.S. Navy Birthday/Patriotic Celebration Concert held on October 2 each year.

Army’s summer festivals

On Friday evenings during the summer months, the U.S. Army’s flagship band, “Pershing’s Own,” plays 12 free performances on the west side of the U.S. Capitol “with the National Mall as a backdrop,” according to Jennifer S. Maly, director of public affairs.

At Brucker Hall at historic Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia, the band hosts several education outreach events and solo competitions each year, Maly said. Musical artists from some of the country’s best symphonies are often featured.

During the holiday season, the group also hosts the annual interfaith American Holiday Festival at DAR Constitution Hall, performing in four free concerts for a total of over 10,000 patrons last year.

The year’s biggest bang-for-the-buck show is Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” (held last year at Fort Myer), featuring members of the Old Guard Presidential Salute Battery, who fire blank shells from World War II-era anti-tank guns for the finale.

Air Force has six ensembles

For live-music aficionados, the United States Air Force Band is “made up of some of the finest professional musicians in the world,” according to spokesperson Matthew Irish — himself a member of one of the group’s six ensembles, the popular Singing Sergeants ensemble.

Others, like the Air Force Strings, play everything “from classical symphonic selections and Broadway show tunes to classic rock, bluegrass and patriotic compositions,” Irish said. The Air Force Band also has a rock ‘n’ roll band, “Max Impact.”

Its “Airmen of Note” ensemble plays big band jazz songs of Glen Miller — who led the Army Air Forces band during WWII. (The Army Air Force eventually became the U.S. Air Force.)

Miller had volunteered for the service (being already 38 years old) and rose to be a major. He died in a plane crash in 1944, before the war was over. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of his death last April, the Air Force Band performed a tribute to Miller’s music at Strathmore Music Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

The Air Force Band has played at a variety of intimate and larger local venues such as the Lyceum in Alexandria, Virginia, the Plaza Stage at National Harbor, DAR Constitution Hall, on the west-side steps of the U.S. Capitol, and at the U.S. Air Force’s Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

For more information about performances, visit usarmyband.com, navyband.navy.mil, marineband.marines.mil and music.af.mil/bands.