Originally from Burnsville, North Carolina, Staff Sergeant Shane Rathburn joined The U.S Army Field Band in 2020. During his musical career, he has had the pleasure of performing as a soloist with the University of Hartford Wind Ensemble, University of North Carolina School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra, the Toe River Chamber Ensemble, and the Eastern Music Festival Symphony Orchestra. As alto saxophonist with Barkada Quartet, Staff Sgt. Rathburn performs extensively as a guest clinician and artist-in-residence throughout universities and festivals throughout the Midwest and East Coast. He holds degrees from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford where he studied with Taimur Sullivan, Otis Murphy, and Carrie Koffman respectively.
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.