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Conductor & Commander
Douglas Hedwig
As millions of Americans sought ways to help their country in the aftermath of 9/11, Douglas F. Hedwig, a full-time music professor at Brooklyn College since 1987, found a way that combined his love of country with his love of music—he joined the New York State Guard with the intention of serving as a bandleader. Recently, he was promoted to the rank of captain and appointed commander and conductor of the 89th Army Band of the New York Guard. The band performs concerts, and plays at ceremonies and parades for veterans, civic and community groups, and in support of active duty soldiers in the New York National Guard.
Hedwig, who completed his basic training at Camp Smith, also received training from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to identify chemical, biological, and nuclear agents. In addition, he learned critical emergency skills, including first aid, search and rescue, and firefighting.
“Thanks to my training in communications, I will be able to function in the coordination efforts of first responders,” he said , pointing out one of the weakest areas in the rescue efforts after the 2001 terrorist attacks.
A Doctor of Musical Arts, Professor Hedwig has received many honors, citations, and awards since he graduated from the Juilliard School of Music. These include the Commissioner’s Special Commendation from the NYC Fire Department in June 2002, in recognition of his outstanding commitment to music education and extraordinary achievement in the field of music.
“It was my need to serve our community right after 9/11 that led me to the firefighters, who took me up as a bugler,” Hedwig said, noting that he played taps at many Fire Department funerals and memorial services for firefighters who lost their lives on that tragic day. In recognition of his effort, the NYC Fire Department awarded him the Commissioner’s Special Commendation. He also played trumpet at the Metropolitan Opera for 10 years before coming to Brooklyn College.
The NY Guard is the state’s official organized militia whose role is to aid local communities in the event of natural disasters or national security emergencies, and support the Army National Guard in defense of the homeland.
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BC is All About
Helping One Another
You can often find Brooklyn College sophomore Rosemary Taveras at the library café, sipping on coffee, writing a paper or relaxing, maybe doing some research.
"I like it because it's very laid back," she says.
The Ozone Park, N.Y, native says she applied to nine colleges but chose Brooklyn College partly because she thought it was one of the best campuses she had seen. But its convenient location and affordability also factored into her decision.
"Plus, I knew it was somewhere I could get a good education because I know a lot of the college's alumni," she says.
One of the main reasons she's stayed is because the faculty members are extremely supportive.
"One thing about Brooklyn College is that if you seek help you will find it. They are always there for you, from helping you to register for classes to helping you get an internship," she says. "They do an amazing job."
She gives her fellow students pretty high marks as well.
"The students are very helpful too. I've made so many friends, many of them from class," she explains. "A lot of times you end up having more than one class with a person and you end up helping each other out with class work and all kinds of things. The thing I like the most is that everyone is very friendly, they're not standoffish at all."
After graduation, she plans to get a master's degree in social work and would like to be a high school guidance counselor.
"I know that Brooklyn College will help me get there," says Taveras, a Presidential Scholar.
Her advice to future students?
"Get the most you can out of the various clubs, the faculty and staff, and just everything that Brooklyn College has to offer," she says. "There are so many opportunities here it can actually get overwhelming at times."
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