Phil these are some amazing photos! Thanks for being there as we were all wayyyyy to busy to get such great shots!

Excellent article. Phil, you are on your way!

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Dear Mr. Simms, With all due respect, Ms. Cornell was talking about "the band leader," as she is the one who conceived of the idea of this piece of performance art and is the single person who was responsible for securing the Silent Drill Platoon's support, among meeting all the contractual obligations of The United States Marine Corps, and creating a "new work of performance art" that seeks to "commemorate and depict the American experience surrounding our national tragedy of 9/11" and during which the Silent Drill Platoon was carefully integrated to "represent all first responders in the scope of the piece." Please visit www.standsymphony.com for clarification. Thank you for coming. I hope at least some of my efforts pleased you and I do hope the information on the website will clarify an confusions you may have. The concert program is downloadable at that site. I hope it will illuminate the intention of the piece.
Very Respectfully,
Anita Brown, Composer, Conductor, Executive Producer.

BTW Those Marines in attendance were there by design. After many discussions w/ HQMC The Commandant of The Marine Corps decided to send an officer in his behalf. LtCol. Meyer therefore attended on General Amos' behalf and decided to bring a number of Marines from Newburgh. The Brooklyn Marines brought color guard & firing detail; an integral part of the "performance art" rendering the highest military funeral honors, for all victims of 9/11 & those who fell since then as a result of answering the call to arms. Those Marines didn't just show up of their own accord to support "the performing Marines." They attended in an official capacity as a result of tenacious effort. Tenacity yielded about 70 Marines tasked, one on stage & one photographer. The number of Marines in attendance was no accident. I hope they didn't "steal the show" as you say, as I spent 12 months plus, composing that music so that I could present this in my home town for the 10th anniversary of this solemn occasion, offering light and inspiration for all to Stand together as one. In the history of USMC, this is the first time it was approved that SDP would participate in a piece of performance art. In the history of jazz, no composer ever sought to put NYC's finest jazz, B'way & studio musicians on the same stage as the ceremonial representation of USMC, telling an American story together. Completely new. Never been done before. Never be presented here again. Never.

Honestly, JSimms, your comment was uninformed, ill directed, narrow minded, and out of line. Enough said.