Navy drummer promises holiday fun

Published 9:53 am Saturday, November 29, 2014

COURTLAND
As Musician First Class Gabe Giannelli has grown, so too has his skill as a drummer. That ability will be evident when he performs with the Wind Ensemble of the Navy’s U.S. Fleet Forces Band for its free holiday concert next week.

“A Community Christmas,” presented by The Tidewater News, will happen on Thursday, Dec. 4, beginning at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of Southampton High School, Courtland. Although there is no admission charge, tickets are required and can be picked up at the newspaper from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

“It’s a great variety of fun and entertaining holiday pieces,” Giannelli said in describing the upcoming show. “It’s very family friendly.”

This is the band’s second visit to Western Tidewater this year. The 40-plus member ensemble performed to a large audience on June 29 at Barrett’s Landing in Franklin.

“I’m one of three drummers in the command,” the Norfolk resident said. “I auditioned for the Navy and got in. Like every other sailor you got to boot camp and then got into the band.”

Before joining the service, Giannelli was a freelance musician, traveling around much of the world performing on cruise ships.

His interest in drumming goes back to when he was a child.

“Honestly, I had a friend I looked up to way back in junior high school. He was a drummer in the band,” Giannelli said, adding that when it came to an elective of playing music or learning science, he took the former choice.

The ability was apparently already there because Giannelli qualified to attend the Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk, which he credits for his enthusiasm in playing percussion.

“Once you go through a great program like the school, you catch the bug and there’s no turning back. You’re done. It’s a fantastic program,” he said. “I was gigging when I was a senior in high school, but didn’t start making good money until I left Berkley College of Music in Boston at age 21.”

That’s when a musical recruiting team came to the college looking for talent to play on cruise ships. He auditioned, got the job and “never looked back.”

“It was great in my early 20s,” he said, but added that his motive for signing up in the Navy was a simple one: “Job security.”

Getting married was also no small part of that life change. He and his wife now have a 10-year-old son.

But Giannelli’s traveling days didn’t fall by the wayside. Now 11 years into the Navy, the 35-year-old still gets to do lot of traveling with the band.

His instrument of choice remains the same, and he’s quite happy with it.

“Drums is enough for me,” he said. “Music’s like an artistic team sport. When you’re on stage with 40 other professional musicians, it’s the same sort of emotional high when a sports team is winning — all the cylinders are clicking. Once you gain that experience of working with a team, you never want to lose that.

“I’m hoping to still do it 30 years from now.”

The address for the concert is 23350 Southampton Parkway in Courtland. The address for the newspaper is 1000 Armory Dr., Franklin. For ticket details, call 562-3187.

For more information on the U.S. Fleet Forces Band, visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usfleetforcesband or email inquires to pao.usffband@navy.mil.