Expeditionary entertainers need musicians for 2008 tour Published Oct. 10, 2007 By Carol Sudy Air Force Services Agency SAN ANTONIO (AFPN) -- Every year, Tops In Blue brings smooth choreography, flashy costumes and great singers to audiences across the world with help from a group of performers who cause toes to tap at every show. The group, a live 10-piece band, sets Tops In Blue apart from other touring shows and keeps the pulse of the show moving, said Tom Edwards, the chief of the Air Force Entertainment Branch. To recruit the band each year, a talent call goes out to fill seats on the famous "Tops In Blue" bus. The Tops In Blue 2008 entertainment group will be filling positions for the upcoming tour through an application process and the Worldwide Talent Contest. "We need musicians as much as singers and dancers," said Jeri White, Tops In Blue production coordinator at Air Force Services Agency, "During the talent contest we audition all types of musicians, from fiddle players, horn players, drummers, pianists to guitar players, to help complete the touring show. We're looking to fill those 10 positions with energetic, aspiring musicians. "Applicants don't have to have professional training to qualify," she said. "They can be self-taught and don't have to be able to read music. All they need is talent and a strong desire to improve during the touring season." Musicians on active duty or in the Guard or Reserve can apply to compete at the Worldwide Talent Contest, held at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Dec. 2 through 10. The deadline for applications is Oct. 26. "This is a fantastic chance for a few talented Airmen, including musicians, to perform their duty by touring with the Tops In Blue team and help provide a free, high-energy, 90-minute musical extravaganza for our military forces stationed around the globe," Mr. Edwards said. Tops In Blue visits more than 120 locations worldwide in more than 30 countries, including remote locations in forward operating areas, entertaining more than 350,000 military and family members each year. "Our goal is simple," Mr. Edwards said, "to reach as many people as possible and to thank them for their commitment to the Air Force." Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page