Musician 2nd Class Vincent Moody, a Whitesboro High School graduate, originally from Severn, Maryland, is serving aboard the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) as the ship travels to Central America, South America and the Caribbean for Continuing Promise 2015 (CP-15).

Moody, who has been in the Navy for 12 years, is a trumpet player assigned to the U.S. Fleet Forces Band "Uncharted Waters". He said he is proud of the work he and his fellow musicians are able to contribute to the mission, interacting with host nation citizens at each stop by building relationships through music.

"Our first performance was the opening ceremony in Belize and there was a Belizean military band there, and it was great speaking with them. They're always so happy to have American musicians there, because jazz is an American art form," said Moody.

Most recently in Nicaragua, Moody and his fellow musicians had the opportunity to host a workshop and perform with students from several local high schools. They performed public concerts in Bilwi Central Park and the village of Tupai, where members of the Miskito Indian tribe showed the band how to play music on indigenous instruments made from tortoise shells and cow jaw bones.

"It is great to be able to get out to different parts of the local communities like the schools or orphanages," said Moody. "When we perform for the locals, I think it helps expand the impact that this mission has."

Band leader Ensign Joel Davidson describes Moody as a great Sailor who displays a passion for being a musician. He also praised his ability to adapt the instrumentation of the group for different events the band takes part in during CP-15.

"MU2 Moody is incredibly talented, and the crowd responds really well to his trumpet playing and vocals. He takes his craft very seriously, devoting dozens of hours a week to personal practice and to writing arrangements for the band. He's arranged almost everything that we've done for the brass band," said Davidson.

In addition to New Orleans style jazz, "Uncharted Waters" also covers music by popular artists such as Justin Timberlake and Beyonce, blending hip-hop and rhythm and blues with the brass band sound.

Moody received a master's degree in music education from the State University of New York at Fredonia and regularly uses his talents in musical arrangement to tailor popular music to fit the brass band style, incorporating the trombone, saxophone, trumpet or tuba.

"The unique thing about our band is we play popular songs, but there's no actual sheet music made for brass bands. We have to write that on our own," explained Moody. "The brass band is kind of close to my heart, because I've done a lot of writing for them, merging popular music with the brass band sound."

As a Navy Musician, Moody has had the opportunity to perform at events such as presidential inaugurations, special ceremonies for foreign dignitaries and international parades, but he also enjoys immersing himself in the culture of each new place he visits. Throughout his career in the military Moody has traveled to 45 different countries and three continents as a Navy Musician.

While Moody is assigned to U.S. Fleet Forces Band, Navy musicians may be assigned to play in one of the Navy's two premiere bands: the United States Navy Band, Washington, D.C., or the Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, Maryland. They may also perform in one of 11 Navy Fleet bands. They set the standard for musical excellence, performing in various musical styles virtually anywhere in the world. Genres range from Broadway to big band, jazz, contemporary, rock, and country or western to baroque.

As a member aboard one of the U.S. Navy's two hospital ships, Moody understands he is part of a team that is working to not only provide medical assistance to host nations in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, but also to build stronger partnerships and demonstrate U.S. commitment to the region.

"Having a band at an event sometimes opens up doors to other forms of communication, it's a different perspective people aren't used to seeing," said Moody. "Each country we visit and play in is an outreach opportunity, and it's just a great experience to be that bridge of communication."

Continuing Promise is a U.S. Southern Command-sponsored and U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet-conducted deployment to conduct civil-military operations including humanitarian-civil assistance, subject matter exchanges, medical, dental, veterinary and engineering support and disaster response to partner nations and to show the United States' continued support and commitment to Central and South America and the Caribbean.

For more news from Continuing Promise, visit www.navy.mil/.