MSU grad Connor Mikula will play solo in US Marine Band's visit to Wharton Center

Whether they know it or not, almost everyone has heard the U.S. Marine Band. Think "Hail to the Chief" and "The Star Spangled Banner."

Also known as The President's Own, the band plays at presidential inaugurations and White House functions. It's the oldest professional musical organization in the United States, established by an act of Congress in 1798.

On Oct. 25, the band will perform a free concert at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. The featured soloist will be saxophonist Connor Mikula, a graduate of the Michigan State University College of Music. The band was last here in 2008.

Col. Jason Fettig, who conducts the band, is retiring from the Marines in December and will become director of bands at the University of Michigan.

Fettig has been with the band for 26 years, first as a clarinetist and then its director for nine years.

“Although I love conducting the Marine Band, I‘m thrilled to be going back to teaching," Fettig said.  "When I won the audition to join the band, I was sidetracked. I thought I would be a college band director. Now I get to work with students and help them fulfill their dreams.“

Mikula is fulfilling his dream.

He earned his doctorate in classical saxophone and he knew getting a performing job would be difficult. Saxophones are used for jazz and big band work.

Mikula now is playing in what is considered by many as the finest concert band in the world.

“I was lucky to win the audition," he said. "I am actually using my performance degree. And that’s unusual."

When he flew to Washington for the audition in 2019, he was one of 80 saxophonists vying for the position.

“My strategy for the audition was that I wasn’t going to show myself as a great soloist but rather highlight my ability to play in the section and have a sound that blends with others,” he said.

Apparently, that strategy worked.

Mikula will be soloing on the suite from the movie “Catch Me If You Can” by John Williams. He is featured in many of the band’s concerts and also heads up the Marine Band Podcast.

Mikula, who graduated from West Ottawa High School in Holland, played with the U-M band as well as the MSU band — two of the top university bands in the country. Is playing in the Marine Band any different?

“It’s like playing football," he said. "If you play with the Spartans or any other good college football team, there will be a few guys on the team who are standouts and will be in the NFL. Well, the Marine Band is like the NFL. They are all top musicians who could play in any major orchestra in the country.”

There is more to the Marine Band than the group of 65 musicians that will be playing at Wharton.

“The entire band has 149 musicians, and under that umbrella is a big band, Latin band, polka band, Klezmer band, rock/country band, two vocalists, world music ensemble, Irish ensemble and a chamber orchestra with 40 players," Fettig said. "We have a total of three conductors, staff arrangers and composers. The bands play 1,000 commitments per year. And everyone in the band plays everything plus march in our ceremonial gigs.”

When the band is on tour, its routine in Washington does not stop. Those concerts use the other musicians in the band, who are assigned on a revolving schedule.

The Marine Band’s main customer is the White House. It plays a gig there almost every day.

“There are foreign dignitaries visiting all the time”, Fettig said. “We have to be prepared to play Greek music, Italian, Indian, lots of things. We play a far greater variety of music than they play in any orchestra.”

And because the band goes back to 1798 and plays music from all over the world, their music library is immense. “We have one of the largest performance libraries in the world,” he said.

Fettig said he has to pinch himself sometimes when he finds himself at the White House presiding over music for a state dinner or talking with the first lady.

“I ask myself, 'How did a clarinet player from New Hampshire get here?'”

The band plays about 300 events at the White House per year.

The band operates on a $10 million budget.  It buys all of the instruments for the musicians and each band member has about six dress uniforms.

The Wharton stop is part of their annual fall tour, which will include 29 concerts this year.

“Even though we don’t go through boot camp like regular Marines, I definitely feel like a Marine as well as a musician being in the band," Mikula said. "When we play a concert in North Dakota or Montana, I feel like a true Marine. Many of these people will never see another Marine.  We are the face of the Marine Corps."

The concert program they will perform in East Lansing is similar to the format developed by the most famous conductor of the Marine Band, John Philip Sousa. The musical selections include marches, an operatic overture, a vocal soloist, an instrumental soloist, traditional band pieces, modern works, and an announcer. Sousa always had programs with a broad scope of music.

Kevin Sedatole, MSU director of bands, will be a guest conductor for one piece.

“Kevin is an old friend of mine, and he has done such a terrific job here at MSU that I wanted to feature him," Fettig said. "Also, I’m proud that we will be colleagues when I’m in Michigan.”

“THE PRESIDENT’S OWN” U.S. MARINE BAND RETURNS

• Date/Time: 7:30 p.m.

• Location: Cobb Great Hall, Wharton Center, East Lansing

• Tickets: Free; 4-ticket limit per person; go to whartoncenter.com or call (517) 432-2000 or (800) WHARTON

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: US Marine Band plays Wharton Center; Michigan State grad is featured