Staff Sergeant Mike Gillespie joined The United States Army Field Band in 2020. He earned a Master of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Oklahoma. Prior to joining the Army Field Band, Staff Sgt. Gillespie served as trumpet professor at Campbell University. He toured the globe with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Shrek the Musical global tour, and two runs of Elf the Musical. As a freelancer, he has performed with the Platters, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus, and numerous other ensembles including brass bands, chamber music, big bands, top 40 bands, and recording studio sessions as an arranger, producer, and performer. Staff Sgt. Gillespie’s primary teachers include Jim Ketch, Karl Sievers, and Mark Clodfelter, with additional studies with Carl Saunders, Charley Davis, and Tom Hooten.
The Concert Band, the oldest and largest of The U.S. Army Field Band’s five ensembles, has performed for over 100 million people worldwide since its founding in 1946. This elite 65-member group has toured across all 50 states and 25 countries, performing in venues ranging from the Berlin Philharmonie and Carnegie Hall to state fairs and high school gyms. Often joined by the Soldiers’ Chorus, the band presents marches, overtures, popular and patriotic music, and solos. They’ve collaborated with renowned orchestras like the Boston Pops and Detroit Symphony and participated in presidential inaugurations and diplomatic events, embodying American pride and professionalism in every performance.