ELKVIEW, W.Va. — “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band will perform at Herbert Hoover High School for the first time ever.
The band is making a stop in Elkview as part of its Coast to Coast tour. The free concert will get underway Thursday evening at Hoover.
Marine Band Communication Strategy Chief, Master Sgt. Rachel Ghadiali is a Clendenin native and Herbert Hoover alum. She said there is nothing more exciting than bringing the band to her alma mater. 
“It’s a bucket list item, I mean to have the “President’s Own” to my high school, it’s just surreal, it’s exciting, I’m so excited to bring the band to meet the folks of Elk River, I’m excited for our communities to be a part of the United State’s Marine Band performance,” Ghadiali said.
The band has performed a dozen times in Charleston since 1948. They go on the road with their Coast to Coast Tour every 10 years with the last time in Charleston being 2014.
Ghadiali was instrumental in bringing the band to Elkview for the first time. She said when the tour director at the Pentagon asked where they should stop on the tour this year, Ghadiali said she didn’t hesitate to suggest her old stomping grounds, and the school was more than happy to have them.
“We have just worked with the folks at Hoover to bring the band there and they’ve been so accommodating, they’ve gone above and beyond when it comes to hospitality, so that’s really how it came about,” she said.
Marine Band Director Lt. Col. Ryan Nowlin has programmed musical selections in the style of the band’s 17th Director John Philip Sousa, who started the band’s concert tour tradition in 1891.
“We are incredibly excited to continue the tradition of our national concert tour,” Nowlin said. “Musicians of the band are more eager than ever to share their musical talents with audiences live, and in-person on this Coast to Coast tour.”
Concertgoers will get to hear a variety of works including Sousa marches, contemporary compositions, and a patriotic salute to the Armed Forces.
Since Sousa’s first initiation of the Coast to Coast Tour, the U.S. Marine Band has delivered their high-energy performances from the White House to the far-reaching corners of the country.
Ghadiali said she remembers seeing the band for the first time 30 years ago on television performing at the Municipal Auditorium in Charleston. She said a spark of immediate inspiration came through her and has stayed with her ever since.
“When I heard them perform and I saw the red uniforms on the news, I was just enthralled,” Ghadiali said. “Even though I hadn’t seen the concert that day, I did see them on the news and that right there sent me on a path to the Marine Corps.”
After majoring in music, Ghadiali joined the Marine Corps right after.
She said over 400 students are expected to be at Thursday’s performance at Hoover.
Ghadiali said she hopes it can serve as inspiration for all of the students in attendance as well.
“I would love for them to just open their minds to the possibilities of what they can make in their careers, even if they’re not musicians, there’s still other ways to still love and still cherish music even in their adulthood,” said Ghadiali.
The Marine Band will perform a total of 28 concerts on their tour and will stop through a variety of states, not only including West Virginia but Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
Thursday’s performance at Hoover will be held in the gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. While the concert is free, you must reserve tickets by going to the U.S. Marine Band’s website.