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Mostly Cloudy Inauguration, here they come
Nassau County Firefighters Pipes and Drums to play in parade for the first time
When members of the Nassau County Firefighters Pipes and Drums rehearse each Wednesday at the East Meadow Fire Department headquarters, Bobby Hughes, a pipe major, said they only have one goal in mind: to make the Nassau County fire service proud.
The band is one of three musical groups from New York state — along with the Marist College Band and the NYPD Emerald Society Pipes & Drums — chosen to play in the presidential inaugural parade on Jan. 20 in Washington. In total, 40 groups from across the nation are scheduled to perform.
“It’s thrilling,” said Hughes, an ex-chief of the East Meadow Fire Department. “This is the first time the [Nassau County] Pipes and Drums will play at an inauguration ceremony, and we couldn’t be more proud.”
The news came two weeks ago, Hughes said, when he got a call from Washington congratulating him on the band’s acceptance to the inauguration roster. He was flabbergasted, he said, and called band manager and drummer Alan Jacoby to give him the news. From there the rest of the 45 members — including seven members of the EMFD color guard — were told of the band’s accomplishment.
“I was extremely excited and proud,” Jacoby said. The band manager since 2010, he said that the upcoming performance will mark the second time that several members have played for a president. In 2004, the band performed at the unveiling of the Sept. 11 memorial in Eisenhower Park, where then president George W. Bush was in attendance.
“We’ll not only get to perform in front of the entire nation,” Jacoby continued, “but we’ll also be able to perform in front of the outgoing president, the president-elect and former presidents.”
Across East Meadow, the response to the news, Hughes acknowledged, was mixed. “The community is clearly divided,” he said.
After an announcement was posted on the band’s Facebook page, more than half of the comments were positive, but there were negative reactions as well. “One lady said she was so upset the band is playing at the inauguration that she vowed to never donate to any volunteer firefighter program in the county ever again,” Hughes said with frustration. “It’s ridiculous.”
“This specific presidential election was more controversial than others,” Jacoby added. He said that the band itself is split in two, politics-wise, but members are putting their opinions aside and instead are focusing on properly representing the Nassau County fire service and Long Island.
“It’s not about politics at all,” Hughes said. “It’s about the band achieving a lifetime, historic goal of performing in front of millions of people in Washington, D.C., and really showing the strength of Long Island. It’s about honoring the fire service and paying respects to our beautiful country.”
Jacoby said that the federal government is not paying “a single penny” for the group’s costly trip to Washington, leaving the musicians to foot the bill. On Dec. 22 he created a GoFundMe account to help raise money for the trip, setting a goal of $20,000. So far, the group has received nearly $8,000 in donations.
“We’re very proud of their accomplishment,” said Ross Schiller, a member of the East Meadow Fire Department. “Nassau County was chosen to host the first [presidential] debate, and now our Firefighters Pipes and Drums is heading to perform at the inauguration. It’s a wonderful achievement for our county and for Long Island all around.”
“We’re really looking forward to make the East Meadow community proud,” Hughes added. “We practice in East Meadow, and it’s a special community, even though a lot of members come from different parts of Long Island. We just want to make the county and the community proud.”
