You can take the colonel out of the band, but you can’t take the band out of the colonel.

So when “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band comes through the Indianapolis area on October 27, retired Col. Michael Colburn—now in his fifth year as Director of Bands at Butler University—will return to the podium. He’ll conduct the band he led for 10 years in a performance of John Williams’ “The Adventures of Han” from the movie Solo: A Star Wars Story.

“I was really thrilled to get the invitation,” Colburn said. “And this will be a chance for a local audience to realize that they have a connection to the Marine Band that perhaps they weren’t aware of right here at Butler.”

Colburn, who directed the Marine Band from 2004-2014, said he received the invitation from his successor, Col. Jason Fettig, after Fettig found out that the band’s tour would stop in Carmel, right outside Indianapolis.

They decided that it would be most appropriate for Colburn to conduct a piece by Williams because during Colburn’s tenure with the band, he established a close relationship with the famed composer.

Their friendship started with a letter about 20 years ago—Colburn wrote to Williams asking him to guest-conduct the Marine Band, and Williams did. They collaborated several other times, including in 2004 when Williams requested that Marine Band perform his music during the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to him.

“Col. Colburn’s distinguished service as the 27th Director of the U.S. Marine Band had an immeasurable impact on the ongoing success and reputation of this historic ensemble,” Fettig said. “He spearheaded many notable artistic achievements for the organization during his time at the helm, not the least of which is developing our close relationship with famed composer and conductor John Williams. I’m absolutely thrilled to welcome Col. Colburn back to the podium of “The President’s Own.”

The rest of the concert at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel will feature a selection of patriotic music—Sousa marches such as “Semper Fidelis” and “Stars and Stripes Forever” (that’s Colburn conducting in these video clips)—as well as some recent original music for wind band.

“This concert is a rare opportunity to hear the Marine band,” Colburn said. “They only come through this area once every 4-5 years at most. I encourage people to get out there and get a little taste of what people in Washington, DC, and especially people in the White House get to hear all the time. This is really one of our national musical treasures.”

“The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band will perform at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel on October 27. Ticket and tour information is available here.

Media Contact:
Marc Allan
mallan@butler.edu
317-940-9822