Amanda Thompson, 20, of Bow, a Musician 3rd class for the U.S Navy, recently performed at Fleet Week New York, a week-long celebration of the nation’s sea services.
Now in its 30th year, Fleet Week began on Wednesday, where the Navy “Brass Band,” part of the U.S. Fleet Forces Band, had its first performance at the South Street Seaport in Manhattan. Thompson is the lead singer of the band and this was her first time performing at Fleet Week New York.
Thompson and the band also performed on the Fox News morning show Fox & Friends, which posted a Tweet with a short video Thursday.
Thompson graduated from Bow High School in 2015, where she focused on musical theater. Thompson said she moved to Bow in 2010 because her father, who was a Navy recruiter for 24 years, was transferred.
“I started singing probably about as soon as I could talk. I don’t even remember, I was so young,” Thompson said. She first saw the fleet musician play at Alvirne High School, which sparked her interest in joining the band.
In honor of Fleet Week the @USFleetForces brass band performs LIVE on our plaza! pic.twitter.com/DLBFVCQsuO
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) May 24, 2018
Thompson said there is an application process for becoming a member of the fleet band. She said there are nine different bands to chose from and bands from other parts of the country have different musical focuses. When she decided to join the band, a trip to the recruiter’s office was the first step.
Thompson said she had to visit Newport, R.I. for an audition, where Thompson said she had to sing different pop songs and the national anthem.
“Once they select you for the band, you sign a four-year contract and then it’s off to boot camp,” Thompson said.
So far, the band has performed four shows as part of Fleet Week. On Saturday, they will be performing in Times Square and Eisenhower Park. On Sunday, they will perform at Liberty Park. Lastly, Thompson will be performing the national anthem at Yankee Stadium on Monday when the Yankees play the Houston Astros. Thompson said she’s an Astros fan.
Thompson said that she used to visit Boston frequently when she was younger and has grown fond of city life. So when the opportunity to join in on Fleet Week came to her, Thompson jumped on it.
“There’s so much stuff to do and the Navy has given me a lot of opportunities to see great places,” Thompson said as she listed off the various areas of the world she has been able to visit.
The calendarof events shows a busy week for the sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, who will be reading to children, attending The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallonand giving ship tours at piers 86 and 90, along with many other events that are free to the public.
The week’s events are centered around the Memorial Day holiday, while also serving as a way for New Yorkers to connect with the military on a more personal level. Service members are also giving back to the community through various volunteer projects. Visitors are able to check out some of the latest military advancements for themselves.
“I like getting to interact with people who don’t know much about the military,” Thompson said. “It’s really great to just inform people on what we do and what the Navy is all about.”
Thompson said the band draws a lot of attention from potential future Navy members.
“People ask me how they can get involved and I love talking about that,” she said.
Thompson said she does not know if she will be returning to Fleet Week next year.
“I would love to, but that’s up to operations and that’s a little above my pay grade,” Thompson said.
Navy ships will depart on Tuesday morning, signaling the end of Fleet Week.
More information can be found on the Fleet Week New York Facebook page or at fleetweeknewyork.com.