Everything Band: Episode 168 - Joseph Hansen

​Major Joseph Hansen is the commander and conductor of the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West based at Travis Air Force Base in Northern California.

Topics:

• Joseph’s early career growing up in Western Colorado and attending Brigham Young University.
• His early career as a teacher and the story of how he transitioned from teaching in Colorado Springs to joining the Air Force.
• A broad discussion of the Air Force Bands including careers in the Air Force, the organization the Air Force bands, and the overall mission of the units.
• Joseph’s career in the Air Force and a brief rundown of his assignments and deployments.
• Some of the resources provided by the Air Force Bands that are available to music educators.

Links:

• Air Force Band of the Golden West
• Brahms: Symphony No. 3
• Schuman: New England Triptych: Chester
• Williams: E.T. the Extraterrestrial Soundtrack
• Miller: In the Mood

Biography:

Major Joseph S. Hansen serves as the Commander and Conductor of the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West at Travis Air Force Base, California, a 60-member musical unit comprised of eight different performing groups with a 5-state area of responsibility serving Air Mobility Command.

Prior to this command assignment, Major Hansen served as an opinion leader engagement action officer for the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs. He was the think tank engagement advisor and liaison for the Chief of Staff and Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, as well as senior Pentagon and MAJCOM leaders, and was responsible for developing and implementing public support and understanding of Air Force roles and missions.

Previously, Major Hansen served as assistant director of operations and flight commander for the United States Air Force Band, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C. During his tenure with the band, he served as officer in charge of the Concert Band, Singing Sergeants, Air Force Strings, and Max Impact as well as overseeing the unit’s marketing, operations, and resource sections.

He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (2014) and Operations Inherent Resolve and Freedom’s Sentinel (2018) to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar and served as the U.S. Air Forces Central Command (AFCENT) Band officer in charge. Through his leadership, deployed bands traveled to Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt and 10 other countries performing for 50,000 military and local audience members on over 250 missions.

Major Hansen began his Air Force career in 2009 as deputy commander of the USAF Band of the West at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. In 2011, he planned and directed the band’s first combined concert with the San Antonio Symphony.

Prior to joining the Air Force, Major Hansen was a band and orchestra teacher in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He graduated with honors from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education in 2006. He went on to complete his Master of Music degree from Southern Oregon University through the American Band College in 2009. Major Hansen completed all coursework and exams towards his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Education in 2017, and is currently in the dissertation process.
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