Posted on 10/16/2016 6:38:18 AM PDT by SandRat
SIERRA VISTA – Gordy Coolman will be celebrating his 70th birthday as guest drum major for the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps Band in the local Veterans Day parade on Nov 11.
“They are accepting me as a guest, as a military veteran on Veterans Day, and they are honoring me on my birthday, which is really extraordinary,” said Coolman. “I am so honored and appreciative of their acceptance of me. It’s a blessing.”
Coolman, who served in three branches of the Armed Forces - the Marines, Air Force and Navy - retired from the Navy with 34 years service. He was an enlisted aircrewman on several heavy-lift cargo and passenger jet transports that provided air logistics support worldwide. He is a Vietnam era veteran as well as a veteran of the Persian Gulf War.
“And now I’m marching with an Army band,” smiled Coolman, who was invited as guest drum major for last year’s Veterans Day parade as well.
Under the direction of Chief Warrant Officer Jonathan L. Crane, the the MI Corps Band performs in several parades throughout the area and makes numerous public appearances at different community events. The band’s Drum Major is Staff Sgt. Christopher Lawrence, who will be working with Coolman to prepare him for the upcoming parade.
“I will be marching about 10 feet ahead of Staff Sgt. Lawrence and we both will be carrying a mace, which is like an elongated baton or staff,” said Coolman. “As a guest drum major, I will be learning the basic movements of a military unit,” he said.
Coolman has an extensive background in music. He started playing the piano at 10 and had music training in public schools. “I continued my music training through college and while in the Marine Corps and the Navy,” he said. “I trained in marching bands, competed in drum major competitions, I was a drum major in high school and a drum major with a Scottish Pipe Band at the University of California at Riverside,” he said. “Even though I am coming into this with some experience, I am pleased to be is a guest where I am relearning some of the basic military movements.”
At a young age, Coolman’s parents discovered he had the ability to repeat music that heard note-for-note on the piano.
“My mother felt there had to be something genetic on her side of the family. I had a great grandmother who was one of the first pianist to play background music in silent movies. The audience would watch the movie and she would music to go with what they were watching on the screen,” he said.
Gordy Coolman’s youngest brother, Todd, is the professor of jazz studies at Purchase College in New York and is a world-renowned jazz bassist, said Coolman. “He’s a really big part of the New York jazz scene. And I have two older brothers who play violin.”
Coolman and his wife of 24 years, Patty, have lived in Sierra Vista for three years. The couple met while teaching Lake Elsinore Unified School District in California. They spent more than 20 years living the RV lifestyle, traveling the western United States. When their travels brought them to the Sierra Vista area where they wintered in the RV park on Fort Huachuca, they were immediately drawn to the area.
“We liked it so much, we decided to move here,” Coolman said. “We love the climate, the beautiful rural setting and the people.”
When he’s not marching with the Army Band, Coolman stays busy playing the piano in different venues throughout Sierra Vista.
That's true. Todd Coolman is the real deal. Thanks for posting.
Great photo !
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