2024 ABA: A Star-Spangled Convention

Greetings! 

 

On behalf of my co-hosts Jason Fettig, Andy Esch, Ken Collins, and Don Schofield, and our spouses Nancy, Lydia, Heather, Amy, and Laura, it is my pleasure to invite you to a “Star-Spangled Convention,” which will be held in the Washington, D.C. metro area from March 6-10, 2024! 

 

The convention will feature performances by the U.S. Air Force Band, U.S. Army Band, U.S. Navy Band, U.S. Marine Band, and a grand finale concert presented by a Joint Armed Forces Band that will also include musicians from the U.S. Army Field Band, U.S. Coast Guard Band, and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Central Band. And if these performances don’t offer enough music to suit you, there will be a bonus concert presented by Loras Schissel’s Virginia Grand Military Band at Schlesinger Concert Hall on Saturday afternoon. 

 

The convention hotel is the Renaissance Arlington Capital View, a beautiful property located in the Crystal City area of Arlington, Virginia. The hotel offers complimentary shuttle service to/from nearby Ronald Reagan National Airport and the Washington Metro system. The hotel will also offer free Wi-Fi for Marriott Bonvoy members, so you might want to consider a membership, which is free. For those who will have a car, the hotel is providing us a deeply discounted parking rate of $15 per night. If you are flying to the convention, it is strongly recommended that you fly into Ronald Reagan National Airport – not Dulles or BWI. National Airport is very close to the hotel, and the hotel offers a complimentary shuttle.  

 

While we were able to secure a very reasonable convention room rate, please note that breakfast is not included. Convention attendees will be on their own for breakfast, and to that end, we have provided a list of breakfast possibilities under the Restaurants tab of this site. (We will also keep a supply of breakfast snacks at the registration table!) For your dinner plans, there are many, many restaurants within a short distance of the hotel. You can find a list of the walkable restaurants under the Restaurants tab. For those who will drive or utilize a taxi/Uber for dinner, it is recommended that you restrict your restaurant searches to the Crystal City/Alexandria/Arlington area. Traffic in the Metro DC area is notoriously slow, especially during rush hour, and staying closer to home will help prevent you from missing a second of the terrific concerts we have scheduled. 

 

As you’ll see on the website, the convention will include excursions to the Library of Congress/Smithsonian Museum complex (including a guided tour of selected items from the Music Division, led by our own Loras Schissel), Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center, a golf outing to Laurel Hill Golf Club, and a visit to historic Old Town Alexandria.  

 

Please note that the deadline for convention registration is Feb. 1, 2024.

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My co-hosts and I can’t wait to welcome you to Washington D.C. for our “Star-Spangled Convention,” and I look forward to seeing you in March! 

 

All the best, 

 

Mike Colburn 

President, American Bandmasters Association