Tracey Paddock, a clarinet player for the U.S. Marine Band, speaks to an Everett High School band class before playing a piece on Friday. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Tracey Paddock, a clarinet player for the U.S. Marine Band, speaks to an Everett High School band class before playing a piece on Friday. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Everett High band class gets a visit from ‘The President’s Own’

The U.S. Marine Band visited campus Friday morning, and played at Civic Auditorium that night.

EVERETT — Music filled a room at Everett High School Friday morning as more than 40 band students focused on the stage, apparently enamored.

One by one, three members of the United States Marine Band played their instruments — a clarinet, a euphonium and a snare drum — as the teenagers listened intently.

The band, known as “The President’s Own,” is one of the country’s most prestigious musical bands, performing at the White House, for the Marine Corps and during memorial ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

The group visited Everett as part of its national concert tour, and played Friday night on campus at the Everett Civic Auditorium. The band comes to the area about once a decade, but tour almost every year.

This time they reached out to Megan Vinther, who has been a band teacher at Everett High School for about 10 years. The musicians asked to visit her classroom, where the cream-colored walls are lined with old Seagulls memorabilia and photos of school bands from previous years.

“It’s a pretty cool thing to have a professional military band come through town,” Vinther said. “Especially one of the Washington D.C. bands, because they are the top of the top.”

Everett High School band students listen while members of the U.S. Marine Band speak and perform for their class on Friday morning. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Everett High School band students listen while members of the U.S. Marine Band speak and perform for their class on Friday morning. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

The United States Marine Band was founded in 1798 by an act of Congress, making it the oldest continuously active band in the country. Its mission is to “provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps.”

It’s believed that the band has played at every presidential inauguration since 1801, when Thomas Jefferson was sworn into office.

“Whenever the White House calls us for anything, we have to drop everything,” Master Gunnery Sgt. Mark Jenkins told the class Friday. He plays euphonium in the band, a brass instrument.

Jenkins was with bandmates Master Sgt. Tracey Paddock, who plays clarinet, and Staff Sgt. David Constantine, who plays percussion. Each serve on active duty in the Marine Corps.

In all, the band has about 160 members. Many of them spread out to visit local schools while on tour.

In Everett, the trio spent about an hour answering questions and playing their instruments.

Jenkins went first, with an uplifting tune.

Mark Jenkins, a euphonium player for the U.S. Marine Band, performs for an Everett High School band class on Friday. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Mark Jenkins, a euphonium player for the U.S. Marine Band, performs for an Everett High School band class on Friday. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)

Paddock was next, and played something a little more somber. Heading to class on a gray and cloudy morning, she thought, “I’m literally going to be playing the weather outside,” she told the students.

Constantine went last, and played a piece on the snare drum. Some parts were loud, and others soft.

After about 45 minutes, a bell rang signaling the end of first period. A few students left and others poured in. Nearly every chair was filled, and many kids sat on the floor.

They all asked questions throughout the lesson.

One girl wondered if there were any string bass players in the band. When she heard there are three, she smiled, scrunched her shoulders and sank slightly into her chair.

Others asked about the audition process, and what inspired each of the band members to be part of the Marines group.

Jenkins had thought about it since he was a little boy, when a military band visited his classroom. After that, it became his lifelong goal to join.

It’s now his turn to inspire the younger generation of musicians.

“For me to do that for them, it’s a very special opportunity,” he said.

Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; sdavey@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @stephrdavey.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Everett Historic Theater owner Curtis Shriner inside the theater on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Historic Everett Theatre sale on horizon, future uncertain

With expected new ownership, events for July and August will be canceled. The schedule for the fall and beyond is unclear.

Contributed photo from Snohomish County Public Works
Snohomish County Public Works contractor crews have begun their summer 2016 paving work on 13 miles of roadway, primarily in the Monroe and Stanwood areas. This photo is an example of paving work from a previous summer. A new layer of asphalt is put down over the old.
Snohomish County plans to resurface about 76 miles of roads this summer

EVERETT – As part of its annual road maintenance and preservation program,… Continue reading

City of Everett Engineer Tom Hood, left, and City of Everett Engineer and Project Manager Dan Enrico, right, talks about the current Edgewater Bridge demolition on Friday, May 9, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
How do you get rid of a bridge? Everett engineers can explain.

Workers began dismantling the old Edgewater Bridge on May 2. The process could take one to two months, city engineers said.

Smoke from the Bolt Creek fire silhouettes a mountain ridge and trees just outside of Index on Sept. 12, 2022. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County will host two wildfire-preparedness meetings in May

Meetings will allow community members to learn wildfire mitigation strategies and connect with a variety of local and state agencies.

Helion's 6th fusion prototype, Trenta, on display on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Helion celebrates smoother path to fusion energy site approval

Helion CEO applauds legislation signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson expected to streamline site selection process.

Vehicles travel along Mukilteo Speedway on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Mukilteo cameras go live to curb speeding on Speedway

Starting Friday, an automated traffic camera system will cover four blocks of Mukilteo Speedway. A 30-day warning period is in place.

Carli Brockman lets her daughter Carli, 2, help push her ballot into the ballot drop box on the Snohomish County Campus on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Here’s who filed for the primary election in Snohomish County

Positions with three or more candidates will go to voters Aug. 5 to determine final contenders for the Nov. 4 general election.

Sound Transit approves contract to build Bothell bus facility

The 365,000-square-foot facility will be the heart of the agency’s new Stride bus rapid transit system, set to open in 2028.

One dead in Everett crash involving motorcycle and two vehicles

Police shut down the 10300 block of Evergreen Way in both directions during the multi-vehicle collision investigation.

Katie Wallace, left, checks people into the first flight from Paine Field to Honolulu on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Executive order makes way for Paine Field expansion planning

Expansion would be a long-range project estimated to cost around $300 million.

A person pauses to look at an art piece during the Schack Art Center’s 50th anniversary celebration on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett to seek Creative District designation

The city hopes to grow jobs in the creative sector and access new grant funds through the state label.

Former Herald writer Melissa Slager’s new book was 14-year project

The 520-page historical novel “Contests of Strength” covers the 1700 earthquake and tsunami on Makah lands.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.