12025-05-16T15:26:05-04:00"Taps," contributed by Calvin Osborne (2025)2plain2025-05-16T15:28:24-04:00 About five years ago, my grandfather passed away from illness after a long battle with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Having spent much of his life as a member of the Navy, where he and my grandmother first met at the National Cherry Blossom Festival during his service, my grandmother requested that my twin brother, who plays the trumpet, perform Taps at his funeral. Taps, which has traditionally been the song played at “lights out” on a military base, has also been performed at military funerals. It is so poignant to me that this song, something so familiar to somebody who has served in the military and so associated with the end of the work day, has been transformed to recognize the passing of a soldier. To me, this song is a powerful reminder of the importance of recognizing the life and accomplishments of one who has passed, while also turning over a new page to mark the beginning of a new chapter for the living. While I myself have a complicated relationship with the military, this song is undoubtedly a remarkable melodic construction and an evocative piece of music that makes me think back so vividly to my brother’s incredible performance at my grandfather’s funeral.