MCRD PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- The Marine bandsmen convened a selection board to select their annual NCO and Staff NCO Musicians of the year. After an extensive selection process, Staff Sgt. Steven Minkler, the Depot band's piano player, received the Corps' top honor for Staff NCOs.
Minkler, who also plays trombone and percussion, was nominated last year for the same honor as a sergeant. He was selected this year on his first nomination as a staff NCO.
"As a pianist, percussionist, trombonist, and rifleman, this Marine dedicates himself to his unit," said Chief Warrant Officer Robert A. Szabo, Depot Band officer. "His keen ear and attention to musical expression contribute greatly to his musical development of his subordinates. Without a doubt, [Minkler] is one of the finest instrumentalists in our field."
Each applicant was chosen on merit as well as playing ability. Minkler's entry into this year's competition was an arrangement of the jazz standard "Affirmation," one of the only jazz entries submitted.
"Most people submitted classical pieces," said Minkler. "I wanted to do something a little different."
Each five to seven minute performance is submitted unedited. This makes "getting it right the first time" increasingly difficult. A mistake at the end of the song would result in having to record the entire piece over. Adding to the difficulty of Minkler's submission was his use of the Depot jazz combo, a small performing ensemble which increased the possibility of human error. According to Minkler, using the combo made his job seem easier.
"The combo is a tight group of great musicians," he said. "It's a lot of fun playing with those guys. They make coming to work enjoyable."
With 12 Marine bands in the U.S. and overseas, the tightly-contested competition for the award was based on more than playing alone. His involvement in many of the band's various ensembles on multiple instruments played a large role on his selection. He performed in the ceremonial and concert band as a trombonist, the jazz and rock bands as a piano player and vocalist and sang for the brass band as well.
In addition to being a first rate musician, Minkler has an impressive service record book. His first class PFT and expert marksmanship were impressive to the selection committee.
After years of formal instruction growing up, the most difficult adjustment for Minkler after joining the Corps was finding the fine line between musician and Marine.
"Marines are all about discipline and structure, where music is all about passion and expression," he said. "Finding the right mix of the two was tricky."
With the band being a rapidly promoting occupational field, Minkler's quick ascension through the ranks put him in the position to lead his peers, a situation that was a relatively easy transition according to Minkler.
"Leading your friends is easy," he said. "It only gets hard when you have to discipline someone you hang out with. In a close group like the band, that doesn't happen too often."
With only a short time left in the Marine Corps, Minkler is looking forward to persuing a degree in business management at the University of Minnesota near his home town of Buffalo, Minn. After a successful career as a musician, he says music will become a hobby.
"I'd rather do music for enjoyment instead of employment," he said, adding that he would like to work in a dueling piano bar for fun while he attends school. Performing in that musical arena will give him the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of his musical idols Elton John and Billy Joel.
"[John and Joel] are the monsters of that kind of music," said Minkler. "They're the kings of playing piano and singing. "
As the curtain closes on the career of the Depot's piano man, memories of performing for and with the best the Corps has to offer are the fondest memories Minkler will take with him.
"Other than playing at the evening parade at Marine Barracks, Washington, getting to play with the Depot jazz combo will be what I miss the most," he said.