Airmen of Note perform for Samo at Barnum Hall

On Sept. 26, the Airmen of Note -- the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force -- visited Samo for a show and Q&A at Barnum Hall. Music students from Samo and from across California on field trips gathered at Barnum during fourth and fifth period to watch the renowned group perform and ask them questions."It was spectacular," Samo trumpet player David Gotler (’18) said. "It was absolutely magnificent."The Airmen, led by Music Director and Master Sergeant Benjamin P. Patterson, played through a set featuring jazz standards such as “All of Me”, “Cheek to Cheek” and “Honeysuckle Rose”. Between tunes, Patterson and the rest of the musicians would answer questions from the audience, ranging from their hopes and aspirations to the exact models of mouthpiece the lead trumpet players were using. "They were really cool. I loved that they used the same trumpet as me," Samo trumpet player Caleb Kim (’19) said. After the show, Patterson invited the entire hall to join the group on stage for a mass photo, during which time students got to further question the players."We got to talk to all the trumpet players and it was really cool to meet them," Samo trumpet player Alan Schlessinger (’19) said. "They were really nice people and it was really fun to have such a great band at our school. The opportunity to see them for free was incredible."