WEBVTT 00:00.300 --> 00:02.411 I am Staff Sergeant Vu . I'm with the 00:02.411 --> 00:04.522 2nd Marine Division band , and I play 00:04.522 --> 00:06.633 the flute and the piccolo . I've been 00:06.633 --> 00:08.800 playing flute and piccolo for about 25 00:08.800 --> 00:11.022 years now . Uh , I started when I was 7 00:11.022 --> 00:13.133 years old . What made me want to play 00:13.133 --> 00:15.300 for the marine band , I was approached 00:15.300 --> 00:17.522 by a recruiter in high school . Uh , as 00:17.522 --> 00:19.633 a marine recruiter , he said they had 00:19.633 --> 00:21.800 openings for flute and piccolo , and , 00:21.800 --> 00:24.022 uh , I said that I wasn't good enough , 00:24.022 --> 00:26.078 so I said no , and I went to college 00:26.078 --> 00:28.420 first , um . And joined afterwards . 00:28.530 --> 00:30.752 Little did I know that I didn't need to 00:30.752 --> 00:33.459 do that . So if I had a choice , I 00:33.459 --> 00:35.403 would have joined right after high 00:35.403 --> 00:37.570 school . My mom was in , uh , the army 00:37.570 --> 00:39.792 though , so I've always been associated 00:39.792 --> 00:41.959 with military music . I've just always 00:41.959 --> 00:44.126 wanted to be a part of the Marines . I 00:44.126 --> 00:44.099 saw the culture of the military through 00:44.099 --> 00:47.549 the eyes of an Army kid , um , 00:48.099 --> 00:50.210 and I would be around people like the 00:50.210 --> 00:52.266 Navy sometimes , people like the Air 00:52.266 --> 00:56.090 Force sometimes on joint bases . And I 00:56.090 --> 00:58.257 would hardly see a marine . Whenever I 00:58.257 --> 01:00.257 would see a marine , their aura was 01:00.257 --> 01:03.080 just . Next level . Ever since I was a 01:03.080 --> 01:05.220 kid , I've loved challenging myself , 01:05.919 --> 01:08.030 and the Marine Corps was one of those 01:08.030 --> 01:10.086 ways that I could challenge myself . 01:10.260 --> 01:12.427 It's also an immense amount of pride . 01:12.599 --> 01:14.710 Anytime I see a Marine leader walking 01:14.710 --> 01:18.040 around , I know he or she is something 01:18.040 --> 01:21.940 else . I always wanted to be like 01:21.940 --> 01:24.629 that , something else . The Marines are 01:24.629 --> 01:28.260 my charge , um , for them to see me as 01:28.260 --> 01:30.779 the staff marine Musician of the Year , 01:31.580 --> 01:34.459 they , it's , it's kind of surreal now 01:34.459 --> 01:38.419 I have an extremely honorable title and . 01:39.779 --> 01:42.809 They treat me the same as they did 01:43.550 --> 01:45.569 yesterday but with a lot more 01:45.569 --> 01:47.750 inspiration , with a lot more 01:47.750 --> 01:51.250 motivation . It's a fantastic feeling . 01:51.550 --> 01:55.389 It , it really is , um , an honor to be 01:55.389 --> 01:58.779 able to influence those below me , 01:59.029 --> 02:02.050 influence those around me . And still 02:02.050 --> 02:04.106 at the same time represent the music 02:04.106 --> 02:06.272 field . One of the biggest reasons why 02:06.272 --> 02:09.369 I wanted to join was because I wanted 02:09.369 --> 02:11.949 to carry on the cultures and traditions 02:12.289 --> 02:15.110 of . Marine Corps . I wanted to carry 02:15.110 --> 02:18.149 on the cultures of and traditions of 02:18.149 --> 02:21.429 America , and one of the best ways and 02:21.429 --> 02:23.540 one of the first ways we've ever done 02:23.669 --> 02:25.820 so is through music . I don't regret 02:25.820 --> 02:29.179 joining whatsoever . This is . This is 02:29.179 --> 02:30.520 my life . This is what I am .