‘It was just very surreal’

Marine Staff Sgt. James McAloon Jr. is doing what he loves – playing the trumpet and serving his country as part of The President’s Own United States Marine Band.

The Williamstown High School grad was at the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Donald Trump, his first.

“I’ve been a part of previous events that have included former President (Joe) Biden, so that really wasn’t out of my comfort zone,” he said days after the inaugural. ” … Being able to play in that situation not only with all of the people that work there, but also for President Trump, and being able to be part of the ensemble that is the first to play ‘Hail to the Chief’ for him, it was just very surreal.”

McAloon auditioned and was selected by the band in August 2023.

“With this position, it’s a little bit of an interesting position, because we don’t do basic training,” he explained. “We are one of two musical ensembles out of all of the branches of the service that don’t require basic training for joining the ensemble, and the main reason for that is because of the long history behind the President’s Own Marine Band.”

McAloon described the training he experienced, including learning the 99-piece band’s back story.

” … Before we can even put the red coat on and start working, we have to do kind of a six- to-seven week intensive where we work with our assistant drum major,” he explained. “He talks about the history of the Marine Corps; the right and wrong things to do in terms of the uniforms; the right courtesies to have for military officers, Marine Corps and other branches; and how to march coming in.

“We take a lot of time to look through everything with a magnifying glass and fine-tooth comb.”

The Marine Band is believed to have made its inaugural debut in 1801 for Thomas Jefferson, the first president to take the oath in Washington, D.C. “The President’s Own” – a moniker Jefferson is credited with giving the band – likely performed “Jefferson’s March” and other airs for the president at his hotel before he walked the short route to the Capitol for his swearing in.

For Jefferson’s second inaugural, workers from the Washington Navy Yard, accompanied by military music, marched with the president in the first inaugural parade on Pennsylvania Avenue.

During President Trump’s inauguration in 2017, the band accompanied Jackie Evancho as she sang the national anthem and accompanied the Tabernacle Choir as it performed “America, the Beautiful.” For Biden in 2021, the group accompanied Lady Gaga as she, too, sang the national anthem, and accompanied actress Jennifer Lopez as she sang “This Land is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful.”

The Marine Band’s music programming is a collaboration between the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region Inauguration Committee and the Presidential Inaugural Committee, according to a history of the group. Band director Lt. Col. Ryan Nowlin programs the pre-ceremony music. Ceremonial music played during the swearing in ceremony is dictated by military protocol. Drum major Master Gunnery Sgt. Duane F. King leads the band in the inaugural parade.

McAloon recalled how during Trump’s January inaugural, things were changing by the second, with the weather being the biggest culprit.

“Nobody really knew what was going to be happening until President-elect Trump … made the decision to move it indoors,” he remembered of the move to the Capitol Rotunda. “And then the inaugural committee started to adjust the plans and go into that action. From the band’s perspective, we had at least several rehearsals, not only by ourselves, but we had a recording session to send to our guest audience that came in.

“We always make sure when we go into something, we are comfortable and we are the most prepared so that when it comes time to start, there are no questions at all. Just lay it down and we are able to succeed with our mission.”

McAloon, 28, graduated from Williamstown High in 2015. His dad started teaching him the trumpet when he was 4.

“I went through the school system and was very lucky to have amazing teachers and mentors,” he relayed. “And as things progressed in age, more opportunities started representing itself, so I was doing marching band and in high school, I started doing youth orchestra in Philadelphia.”

As he took the trumpet more seriously, McAloon contemplated either joining the military after high school, going into music or becoming a chef.

“I was passionate about all (these things) at the same time,” he recounted. “With both my parents being musicians, I decided to kind of jump head first into music and study it.”

McAloon got his bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance from the University of Hartford in Connecticut in 2019, and in 2022, earned a master’s at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston. He was teaching and freelancing there when (the Marine Band) audition presented itself.”

McAloon went for it, and after three days, came out on top. It was actually his second band audition; the first one came in the beginning of his college career.

“At the time, I just wanted an audition under my belt,” McAloon said, adding that what he did take away from the first audition was seeing how members of the band carried themselves.

“I knew that this place was something different,” he said, “something that I wanted to be part of in some way in future.”

A trumpet player in the Marine Band works all year, whether for funerals, parade season during the summer, concerts from the beginning of February through the end of summer to tours in October and receptions at the White House in November and December.

“I think it ends of being the band does at least 300 events a year, it flexes every year,” McAloon pointed out. “Luckily, there are 180 people in the band itself, so we are able to be in multiple places at once. On one hand, the band itself, the organization, is incredibly busy, but as an individual, the schedule allows for a little bit of freedom with it.”

McAloon acknowledged that the most challenging part of the band’s performance is making sure he pays respect to those who’ve paid the ultimate sacrifice.

“Any time I put this uniform on, I realize that there are many men and women that have paid the ultimate sacrifice and have given their lives for this country,” he observed. ” … One of the most important jobs for me is whenever I get to play Taps at Arlington National Cemetery.

“It’s only 28, 30 notes, but to a family, it’s an answer to their grieving loved one, and I – along with the rest of the trumpet section – do not take that lightly.”

In the Marine Corps, one can do 20 years of service and then retire. McAloon performs with the Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra at the White House, in the Washington, D.C., area, and across the country during the band’s annual concert tour.

“My wife is a violinist, and I have many friends that perform in major orchestras,” he reflected, “and I respect and love playing in an orchestra. But having so many family members that have served and are currently serving, being able to do what I do for a living is a very rare and a special job that I love so much.

“I have been here over a year and fully intend on trying to stay here as long as possible.”