Article by Gwen Jones, Department of Family Services
(Posted 2025 August)
Alan Cole proudly calls himself a “band geek.” He’s someone who loves playing music, being part of a band, and sharing his passion with other musicians. While he never became a professional musician, Cole has played in bands for most of his life. For more than 50 years, he has been a member of the City of Fairfax Band, a community band composed of musicians of all skill levels dedicated to sharing the excitement and joy of live music with their community.
Alan Cole was born in Indianapolis, IN, in 1943. His family moved to Falls Church, VA, in 1949 when his father, the city editor of the Indianapolis Star, was reassigned to serve as the paper’s Washington correspondent.
As a boy, Cole was a member of Boy Scout Troop 140. The troop leaders wanted to put together a band to play in the Memorial Day parade but had no instruments. Since the Boy Scouts of America is a federally chartered organization, the troop was eligible to receive surplus government equipment, so they applied for band instruments. When the instruments arrived, Cole was given an E-flat Flugelhorn (which he describes as looking like an itty-bitty tuba) and learned to play it in his elementary school’s band program.
By the time he was in eighth grade, Cole’s family had moved from Falls Church to McLean. When he joined the McLean High School band, he had to switch instruments because they didn’t use the Flugelhorn. The school loaned him a French Horn instead. After regular lessons with a member of the U.S. Army Band, and practicing and performing with his high school band, Cole says he became “reasonably good for a high school kid” and was a “solid, hardcore band geek.”
After graduating high school in 1960, Cole went to the University of Virginia (UVA), where he joined the school’s concert band. Back then, UVA was still an all-boys school, so every year the UVA band joined the band from their sister school, the University of Mary Washington, to perform a joint concert. Cole enjoyed these concerts, especially because the two bands combined produced a more balanced sound. His explanation for this is that at that time, there were gender biases about instruments. Girls often chose flutes and oboes, which were considered more feminine, while boys played trumpets and tubas, which were considered more masculine.
After college, Cole married his high school sweetheart, Carol Davis, and began working as a public information officer for the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. “We got a nice apartment in Arlington, and I took the bus to work every day. I figured my horn playing days were over,” he says.
But in the fall of 1965, Cole got a letter from the Selective Service saying he needed to report for a physical exam, meaning he could be drafted into the U.S. Army soon. Not wanting to leave his future up to chance, Cole talked to a recruiter. When the recruiter found out Cole played the French Horn, he reached out to the 75th Army Band at Fort Belvoir to see if they needed any French Horn players. It turned out the band had four slots but only one French Horn player, so Cole scored an audition. “I hadn’t played since graduation, so I got out my horn and practiced,” he says.
After a successful audition, Cole enlisted and underwent basic training. He spent one year playing with the 75th Army Band before being transferred to the 214th Army Band at Fort Richardson in Alaska. Not wanting to be apart from her husband, Carol moved to Alaska with him and got a job as a legal secretary in Anchorage. While they were there, their first child, Brian, was born.
In 1968, the family moved to Fairfax County. Two years later, their second son, Bruce, was born. Cole went back to work but didn’t give up playing music. He joined the City of Fairfax Band, which was just a few years old at the time. Over the decades, Cole watched the band grow and improve. “It’s been my good fortune to be with it as it’s grown into what it is today. Within the world of community music, it’s recognized as one of the best. It’s been a real privilege to be part of that,” he says.
Cole credits one of the band’s early leaders, Dr. Thomas Hill, for much of its success, saying, “His leadership brought the best out of all these community musicians. Not by cracking the whip, he just had a very adult and positive way and that attracted more good players.” People from all different backgrounds joined the band, including retired military band musicians, music teachers, and band geeks like Cole.
In the 1990s, Cole’s son Brian, also a self-proclaimed band geek, joined the City of Fairfax Band. Like his dad, Brian had played in the McLean High School band. Now he plays Bass Clarinet in the City of Fairfax Band and Tenor Saxophone with a smaller ensemble called the Fairfax Saxophone Quartet. The band’s other ensembles include the Main Street Community Band, the Fairfax Swing Band, the Main Street Brass Quintet, and the Fairfax Alte Kameraden, a German band.
In 1994, Dr. Hill retired as band director, and Cole led the search for a new leader. After a long and difficult search, the band chose Robert Pouliot, who had served as the associate conductor of the U.S. Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. Cole believed Pouliot was the perfect choice, which turned out to be true. Under his guidance, the band continued to grow for nearly 30 years. Today, the band’s director is Dr. Dereck Scott.
After more than 50 years with the band, Cole says it’s hard to pick his favorite moments. Some highlights include playing music for Salvation Army fundraisers on Christmas Eve at the Kennedy Center and performing difficult, unique concerts, like one dedicated to the music of composer Percy Grainger, whom Cole calls “an eccentric genius.” One of his fondest memories is when the City of Fairfax Band traveled to France in 2017. In Normandy, the band performed at the D-Day commemoration and wreath laying at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, which overlooks Omaha Beach. Visiting the cemetery was an emotional experience for Cole. Having never visited France, he also enjoyed the band’s side trip to Paris.
Looking back, Cole has only good feelings about playing with the band. “I can’t imagine how my life would have been as an adult without it (City of Fairfax Band.) It’s been very enriching. It’s been demanding. I can’t think of any downsides to it. Maybe my wife can. It’s been all positive,” he says. Asked if he has any favorite music, Cole admits to having a few but equally enjoys learning new music. “Bob Pouliot said his favorite piece of music is the one I’m conducting right now,” he recalls.
Now 82 years old, Cole isn’t sure how many more years he’ll keep playing. “I’ve felt for a long time that it’s better to stop a year too early than a day too late,” he says. But for now, he’s enjoying the challenge, the friendships, and the joy that comes with being a band geek.
To learn more about the City of Fairfax Band and their upcoming performances, visit fairfaxband.org.
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