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RedBall gears up for MPOY

By Senior Airman Stephanie Sauberan, Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs / Published January 21, 2014

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MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Feedback fills the air and drums pound, setting the pace of the music, as Senior Airman Matthew Phillips, 5th Munitions Squadron munitions stockpile technician, and guitarist, leans forward over his Peavey electric guitar.

He swings his hand back, as if preparing to make a pitch in a game of softball, and brings it around sharply pointing at Airman 1st Class Slate Garner, 5th MUNS missile maintainer, who begins to sing.

The two have been playing music together just under a year as members of RedBall, an all military band at Minot Air Force Base established in 2008.

The band will be performing, with all of its new members, for the first time at the upcoming Maintenance Professional of the Year Ceremony hosted in Dock 9, Feb. 28.

Due to mission demands and permanent changes of duty stations of older members, the group is in a constant state of flux and must learn to incorporate new talents and personalities often.

Performing at the event will give the group a chance to test their newly refined skills while, at the same time, helping to light the spirits of everyone in attendance. The group has been dedicating an average of seven hours a week practicing for the event.

Although some musicians in the band are new, RedBall has recently reached a point where they feel comfortable enough with all their members to begin performing at commander's calls and ceremonies again, says Garner. However, for many of the veteran members a love of music and showmanship comes from long before they joined the band.

"Being a vocalist has its ups and downs," said Garner. "I started on this path back when I was ten, singing for a large variety of younger rock bands at the time, adapting to styles such of Serj Tankian, Benjamin Burnley, Myles Kennedy and Adam Gontier,"

Joining RedBall has helped Garner better shape his talent on the microphone. After readapting to working with a full-fledged band, recognizing the attributes of other bands became second nature, said Garner. In certain instances, there were melodies and vocals which he had never heard.

"It's been four years since I've been with a group like this that shares my passion and amplifies such emotion," Garner said.

As lead vocalist, Garner has been able to experience new types of rock music that he has brought to success through the band.

Garners bandmate Phillips stated he has always been big on music and as well as a part of several different bands before joining the Air Force.

"When I found out that our base had a band, it was a perfect chance and I would never take it back," said Phillips.

Working as a team allows the group to learn from each other and better their style as a group.

"To me, RedBall provides an outlet for musical expansion and a family to all those with a burning desire that cannot be quenched by neither snow, wind, nor ice, to just play our hearts out," said Garner.

When a group of people, all from different musical backgrounds, tastes and styles, are playing together they can hit a groove where everything just sounds right, said Phillips.

"It's perfect and the sound rocks you to the core and you know that in that moment you are at one with everyone else in the band and with the music," said Phillips.

The band's overall goal this year is to set up regular free gigs on base, and eventually perform downtown, bringing RedBall to local entertainment venues, said Phillips. By doing so, they hope to show the people of Minot another way that the base Airmen care about the community.

"We've been working hard trying to get our sound back, trying to spin up the new players and settle on what we want to play," said Phillips. "I'm eager to go on stage and prove to ourselves as much as to the rest of the base that RedBall is back."
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