WASHINGTON — When fallen soldiers are laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, Staff Sgt. J. Martin “Marty” Bishop is often on hand to provide a final musical salute.
The 36-year-old Jonesboro native plays taps hundreds of times per year, as family members and friends of the deceased say farewell. He performs similar tributes at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as well.
The assignment is high-pressure because the task is so important, said Bishop, a trumpeter with the U.S. Army Band.
“It’s humbling. It’s extremely honorable. It kind of gives me a sense of meaning and purpose that I feel that I wouldn’t have had in any other civilian music job,” he said.
Taps is a 24-note bugle call, slow, sad and familiar to most Americans.
“It’s a simple tune, but it’s not easy. There’s nothing easy about playing taps — especially when you’re under a lot of pressure,” Bishop said.
The melody was created in 1862 at Harrison’s Landing, southeast of Richmond, Wa., and performed for Union troops. The music, echoing across Civil War battlefields, appealed to Confederate forces as well.
Eventually, both sides embraced it.
Since 1891, U.S. Army regulations have required taps to be played at military funerals.
At Arlington, it is played thousands of times each year, including every Veterans Day, when dignitaries gather for the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The assignment is high-pressure because the task is so important, said Staff Sgt. J. Martin Bishop, a trumpeter with the United States Army Band.
From first note to last, it takes less than a minute to complete.
Bishop, a University of Memphis graduate, has been a member of the Army Band since August 2013.
The married father of three isn’t the first in his family to put on a uniform.
“My dad was in the military. My grandfather served in World War II,” he said.
“To be able to honor fallen soldiers, honor fallen veterans … You couldn’t ask for anything better,” he said.
Bishop is one of at least four Arkansans who are members of the band, which is also known as “Pershing’s Own,” a tribute to the military leader who helped establish it nearly 100 years ago — Army Gen. John Joseph “Black Jack” Pershing.
Bishop’s journey to the band began in a Nettleton Intermediate School band class roughly a quarter-century ago.
“He started in the [sixth] grade, and it was apparent to me, very soon, that he had a passion. There was a gift, but there was also a passion,” said his father, Richard Bishop.
The young musician’s work ethic was never in doubt. “He’d come home and practice two [or] three hours a day,” his dad recalled.
A former high school band director, the elder Bishop knew a thing or two about musical talent.
He had earned a spot in the U.S. Air Force band program in 1968, shortly after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance from Arkansas State College, now Arkansas State University.
With the Vietnam War raging, the open slot had been a blessing.
“It was a gift from God,” he recalled.
Eventually, he married and started a family.
As a band instructor back in Arkansas, he helped young musicians pursue their dreams, including Shawn A. Hagen, a French horn player from Paragould, who would go on to serve in the U.S. Army Field Band and, eventually, in Pershing’s Own.
He also encouraged his son’s musical abilities, pointing to Hagen as an example of where hard work and talent could lead.
At Westside High School, outside Jonesboro, the teenage trumpeter excelled, claiming top spots two straight years on the Arkansas All-State Band as well as the Arkansas All-State Jazz Band.
“He was the best high school trumpet player in the state,” Richard Bishop recalled.
The young musician also shared his talents with his hometown congregation — Walnut Street Baptist Church.
“He and I used to play duets together in church all the time he was in high school and college,” Richard Bishop recalled.
“He got to where he was playing better than I am, and I quit playing because I couldn’t keep up with him. [But] he kept on playing,” the elder Bishop said. “He still plays regularly at Easter services and Christmas services and things where he’s invited to play.”
Marty Bishop would go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Memphis; a master’s in music and a doctorate of musical arts — both from the University of North Texas.
Around the time he completed his studies, he heard from Hagen about a job opening.
“He called me up and said ‘Hey, we have a trumpet audition. You should really take it,’” Bishop recalled.
It’s a challenge Bishop gladly accepted. He entered the nationwide competition — and won.
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who served as an Old Guard funeral escort at Arlington, says only an elite few make the cut.
“They are the very best musicians, not just in the Army, but really in the world,” he said. “It is a very high honor, indeed, for any musician to be chosen for that role.”
Since arriving in Washington, Bishop’s experience as a church musician has proved useful.
Sometimes, the band is asked to play hymns at funerals. In December, Pershing’s Own played “A Mighty Fortress” and “Fairest Lord Jesus” as the casket of President George H.W. Bush was carried into the U.S Capitol.
Over the years, he has played in all kinds of weather.
“I think the coldest taps I’ve ever played was 6 degrees at the Tomb [of the Unknown Soldier.] And there was ice on the ground,” he said.
The warmest? “Probably 98 degrees,” he said.
When the heat index hits 112 degrees and the dress uniform is made of wool, it can get slightly uncomfortable, he notes.
No matter the weather, buglers must focus on the task at hand.
It’s more than just music.
The uniforms must be carefully pressed, the creases must be crisp, the medals must be perfectly aligned.
“Every mission, we always have to make sure that everything is perfect,” Bishop said. “Not only are we supposed to sound as good as we possibly can, but we have to make sure we look good.”
Six years after arriving in Washington, Bishop’s musical career is still on an upward trajectory.
As he moves up in seniority, there will be greater opportunities to play with the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, the official presidential fanfare ensemble.
“Basically, that’s standing on the balcony of the White House and playing for ambassadors and arrivals and the presidents,” he said.
Opportunities for advancement lie ahead. But for now, Bishop’s primary focus is on his wife, Molli, their two daughters, and a newborn son, who arrived on Oct. 24.
Thanks to Army leave policy, he’s been able to savor the baby’s first few weeks.
“My family, honestly, is my first priority and has been since Day One,” he said.
He’ll return to duty on Dec. 10.
