A U.S. Navy Sailor from Salem, Virginia, assigned to Navy Band Northeast in Newport, Rhode Island was recently selected as the band’s “Sailor of the Year” for fiscal year 2014.
Musician 1st Class (Surface Warfare) Christopher Sams, a Salem native and graduate of Salem High School, joined the Navy as a saxophonist in August of 2000. In addition to performing in the band’s Pops Ensemble and Ceremonial Band, MU1 Sams is the drum major for the marching band and is a saxophonist and vocalist in the band’s popular music group, Rhode Island Sound. Sams is also the Leading Petty Officer for Navy Band Northeast.
One of Navy Band Northeast’s primary responsibilities involves providing musical tours within the band’s 11-state area of responsibility. Several of the band’s primary performing units embark each year on concert tours throughout the northeast, allowing the band to reach out to audiences that do not have opportunities to see Navy ensembles on a regular basis. The concerts are family-friendly events, meant to be entertaining to audiences of all ages and cultural backgrounds, as well as geared toward attracting individuals interested in joining the Navy.
Sams has been extremely busy with Navy Band Northeast’s popular music group, Rhode Island Sound, performing everything from Journey and Michael Jackson to the latest hits on the radio today. As part of one of the more well-traveled units in the band, Petty Officer Sams has made appearances with the group at Fleet Week in New York City and Navy Week in Pittsburgh, PA, as well as over a dozen high schools in the Northeastern United States in the past year.
“It’s an honor to be a small part of such an incredible group of musicians,” said Sams. “Over the past year we’ve had the pleasure of playing for a variety of different audiences. Whether supporting official U.S. Navy engagements, rocking out in a High School auditorium full of a thousand screaming students, or performing at a concert in Times Square, I look forward to every performance and really get a kick out of seeing the joy that music can bring into people’s lives.”
To be selected for the Navy Music Program, Sams went through a live audition process that involved showcasing his technique, musicality, and versatility.
“I grew up in a very musical family. My mother and father, Craig and Debbie Sams, both had a huge influence on my love of music and exposed me to a large variety of musical styles growing up. After joining the band at Salem High School, my passion for music grew even more. It was the band director at the time, Dennis Reaser, who gave me the idea of signing up for the Navy Music Program. He served in the Navy Band back in the ‘60’s.
“Joining the Navy Music Program is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” continued Sams. “I met my wife, Andrea, at my first duty station and we’ve since been blessed with three awesome little boys (Isaiah-7, Donovan-4, and Jason-1). I’ve also been able to travel around the world to more than 50 different countries, meet a ton of different people, play alongside some amazing musicians, and make a living doing something I genuinely enjoy in the process. I’ve seen the power of music first hand – it can break down social, political, and cultural barriers. Music truly is the universal language.”
Before reporting to Newport, Rhode Island in 2012, Sams’ past duty stations include Naples, Italy, Seattle, Washington, Yokusuka, Japan, and Norfolk.
For more information visit www.cnic.navy.mil/NavyBandNortheast
– Colleen Shifflett
