Musician 1st Class Adele Demi, of Colorado Springs, CO.
Musician 1st Class Adele Demi, a 2003 Coronado High School graduate, was selected as the Washington, D.C.-based command’s Sailor of the Year for 2022, according to Navy officials as reported in
“I’m just so honored to be selected because everyone I work with is so hardworking and talented,” Demi said. “I feel very lucky that they selected me out of all the wonderful people who work here.” she was quoted as saying.
Enlisting into the Navy was a career left turn for Demi. Having earned a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s in clarinet performance from the University of Northern Colorado, she seemed well on her way to becoming a classical musician when she learned about the Navy’s music program.
When she realized she could serve her country and pursue a music career at the same time, she decided it was too good an opportunity to pass up and joined the Navy in 2012.
“I became aware that the Navy provided one of the most stable, secure and fulfilling careers that I could possibly want,” Demi said. “I realized that this incredible opportunity was out there if I was willing to go for it. So I went for it.”
An enlisted sailor with a bachelor’s and a postgraduate degree would be atypical just about anywhere except for the Navy Band, Demi said.
“This command is really unique in that just about everybody has at least one degree in music, if not two,” she said. “That surprised me at first.”
One of the highlights of Demi’s career took place on March 6, 2022. In recognition of International Women’s Day, NBC’s “Today” show highlighted Cmdr. Billie Farrell, commanding officer of the USS Constitution. Farrell, who assumed command of “Old Ironsides” in January 2022, is the first woman to helm the warship in its 225-year history.
Demi’s band was asked to travel to New York City and play the Navy’s anthem, “Anchors Aweigh,” during the television segment honoring Farrell. When Demi was asked to conduct the band, she didn’t hesitate.
“It was an opportunity that came up at the last minute, as our jobs sometimes do,” she said. “We went up (to New York City) the night before, and the next morning, there we were, playing ‘Anchors Aweigh’ on the ‘Today’ show. It was awesome.”
The Navy Band’s travel itinerary is approaching full swing after being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Demi said. It is touring the western part of the U.S. with plans to visit Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Nevada and California.
After that, Demi will prepare to join the Navy’s officer ranks. Last month, she was selected for commission as a limited duty officer. In October, she will commission as a Navy bandmaster — one of about 30 in the entire service, officials said.
Barring the unforeseen, Demi plans to make the Navy a career.
“I’m in it for the long haul,” she said. “I really believe in the mission of the Navy bands. I see the work that they’re doing, and I want to (continue to) be a part of that.”
Demi, who last year helped facilitate a nationwide audition talent search that filled 17 critical vacancies, said she’d like more people to know about the music program’s existence.
“We have the distinct honor of representing 350,000 active-duty sailors and telling their story,” she said. “I’m really proud that I’m able to do that.”
