Retired Chief Master Sergeant Larry MacTaggart served in the United States Air Force Band from Offutt Air Force Base to the Pentagon and beyond. His musical journey came from humble beginnings, though.
MacTaggart and his twin sister were raised by their grandparents. When he asked for a drum set, they started saving Green Stamps from the grocery store. They asked him to wait until seventh grade to redeem the stamps and bring home the drums because they wanted to make sure the interest would hold. After decades in music performances in every state plus traveling to 14 countries, it seems the interest held.
After graduate school, MacTaggart became a band teacher, but it wasn’t a great fit. He learned Offutt Air Force Base had an opening for a percussionist, and the idea of joining appealed to him. He tried out for the band and made the cut.
The Air Force congratulated him by saying, “Go see a recruiter.”
It turns out even musicians have to take basic training. He did his stint along with recruits ten years younger. Afterwards, he returned to Offutt and joined the Strategic Air Command Band as principal percussionist and staff music arranger. Later, he was assigned to the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C.
When MacTaggart describes his long career, he remains amazed at the experiences and opportunities he continues to enjoy. He says he often stops, looks around, and says, “I can’t believe this.”
He recalls many such moments as a musician, composer, and arranger. He continued educating students by doing clinics for schools and colleges. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed one of his compositions. He marched in the Rose Parade and arranged and recorded music at Sony Studios in New York City. He led the team that created a musical to commemorate the Wright Brothers’ 100th anniversary, which was performed at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
Not all the experiences were glamorous, though. He recalls marching in President George W. Bush’s first Inaugural Parade. The opportunity was amazing but exhausting. The band lined up at 7:00 am and didn’t touch a foot on Pennsylvania Avenue until eight hours later.
MacTaggart also tells an interesting story from his Gulf War deployment. He went as an observer of an Air Force rock band. When the drummer was called home for a family emergency. MacTaggart found himself playing in a rock band in Afghanistan. At one performance, a group of new Afghan recruits crouched in a semi-circle around the stage and listened. Most of them came from the surrounding rural area and hadn’t been in the camp long.
Soon, one soldier stood and came closer. A little later, he started to move with the music. Before long, all the Afghan soldiers had joined the dance. One of the officers remarked on the incident.
“You made more progress with them than we’ve done in a month.”
MacTaggart says music works that way. It tells stories and connects people. That is why he considers the Air Force Band to be a strong representative of the military to the public. After a prestigious career, he eventually retired from his final posting in Hawaii and brought his family home to Nebraska.
These days, MacTaggart generously shares his talent with the local community, including the Papillion Area Concert Band and the Papillion Area Community Singers. This year the band celebrates its fortieth anniversary, and MacTaggart serves on a committee with band director Ken Mozler to organize special concerts.
“Ken has been so supportive in playing my music through the years,” MacTaggart says. That’s one reason he composed and arranged several pieces for the band’s anniversary concerts.
This year, the Papillion Arts Foundation recognized MacTaggart’s lifetime of music and community service at their Annual Showcase, where he received the Mayor’s Art Award. He continues to respond to such experiences with his standard line. “I can’t believe this.”
MacTaggart’s compositions and arrangements are available for local bands through music distributor jwpepper.com. He still visits area high schools and colleges to encourage student musicians, and he is always creating something new.
This year, he recently composed a tribute piece to the crew of Artemis II, which will be played by multiple groups this year. So far, it’s been a pretty good payoff for those Green Stamps.