Photo By Sgt. Robert Yde | Members of the "Haifa Street Project," lead singer, Capt. Patrick Miller from Buffalo,...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Robert Yde
2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
FORWARD OPERATING BASE PROSPERITY, Iraq – When most Soldiers with the 2nd "Black Jack" Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division hear the name, "Haifa Street Project," the first thing that probably comes to mind is the brigade's ongoing work to restore the former battleground in Baghdad's city center. However, within the brigade there is another Haifa Street Project that has recently begun and is hoping to make a name for itself.
"We were just sitting around and somebody said, 'Haifa Street Project,' and it was just like, that's perfect," Capt. Jason Lewis, the brigade's civil affairs officer said.
Lewis and four other Soldiers have recently formed a band and adopted the civic project's name as their own.
"We have an ongoing Haifa Street Project in the Karkh District right now that's a really big deal," the Santa Barbara, Calif. native explained. "We just felt like that's a project, and we're a project; they're growing, we're growing, and so we named the band that.
"Plus we get duel publicity," he added. "Our own and every time somebody mentions Haifa Street, you don't know if they're talking about the band or the street project in Karkh."
The original idea to form a band while in Baghdad started back at Fort Hood, Texas, with guitarist, 2nd Lt. J.P. Hare who is with Headquarters Troop, 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment and lead singer, Capt. Patrick Miller who is with the 5-6th Military Transition Team. At the time, both Soldiers were with the 15th Brigade Support Battalion and assumed they would be living at the same base.
"At the last second I got thrown onto the MiTT at Prosperity [FOB Prosperity] while [Hare] was at Falcon," explained Miller, a Buffalo, N.Y., native. "So, it never really came to fruition."
While at FOB Falcon, Hare started playing with two other Soldiers: bassist, Spc. Stephanie Gould who was also with the 15th BSB, and drummer, Spc. Zak Deckard, who was with one of the Black Jack Brigade's attached units, 1st Battalion, 14th Cavalry Regiment. In March, both the 15th BSB and 1-14th Cavalry relocated to the International Zone, and Hare and Miller were able to pick up with their original plan of forming a band.
"We ended up coming here to Prosperity, and we were all able to come back together with Capt. Miller and Capt. Lewis, and now we're ready to rock the IZ," Naples, Fla., native Gould said.
All of the Soldiers said they have been involved with music for quite sometime, and most of them have played in other bands before.
"J.P.'s been in numerous bands in California, and I've been in a few bands," Miller said. "The last time I was deployed to Iraq, I was in a band, and we toured around the Green Zone. It's just something we love doing."
For Lewis, however, this is his first stint in a band, and he said that so far he's enjoyed the experience.
"It's awesome. I love music," he said. "I did play in one of the church services, but it's a little different flavor now – a little different music. It's very loud, and I'm kind of an older guy, so if I lose my hearing, then, oh well, it's for a good purpose."
Since forming about a month ago, the Haifa Street Project tries to find time to practice about 10 hours a week, usually in the evening at the Prosperity Chapel.
"We're very passionate toward what we're doing because it's very time consuming," Miller said. "We work on top of this, too. So it's hard to find the time to come here to the chapel at a reasonable hour and not wake people up.You've really got to want to do it to be able to do it."
Although it can be difficult for all five Soldiers to find the time to get together, Lewis said that the time he is able to spend playing music is worth it.
"You just blow off steam," Lewis said. "All we do is work and focus on military activities and operations and missions. That's our primary job over here, but if I can get an hour to blow off some steam and play with the guys then I love doing that."
The band hopes to help other Soldiers blow off some steam on the fourth of July when the Haifa Street Project makes their debut with an outdoor concert at Prosperity.
"It's going to rock," Gould said of their upcoming concert. "We're really looking forward to it. We've been practicing hard. We're playing songs that everyone knows and everyone's familiar with. We're just going to play and have a good time and just enjoy it."
The music is primarily mainstream alternative, which all the band members, with the exception of Lewis, said is what they listen to.
"That's all them," Lewis said. "If I had my choice we'd be playing all Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, but I couldn't even get the Bee Gees in there. I've got to go with the band, though."
Along with practicing several times a week for their upcoming concert, the band has been busy advertising their concert by printing and posting up flyers all over Prosperity and throughout the International Zone.
"There's a lot of time, money and effort going into it, and we've got a lot of people supporting it," Miller said. "I have no idea what to expect, but whether it's 700 people or it's 30 people, we're going to play the same. It's going to be a good show."
Based on how their first show goes, Miller said he hopes that the band will be able to play at other venues around the IZ and possibly Baghdad.
"Nothing is set in stone right now," Miller said. "But we plan on playing at Freedom Rest. The embassy's got a little auditorium and just around the Green Zone, or even outside the Green Zone at different FOBs. There's a lot of logistics involved getting there, but who knows, we're open to whatever and we'll just take one step at a time. Right now we're just looking forward to the Fourth."
| Date Taken: | 06.14.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 06.14.2007 14:20 |
| Story ID: | 10821 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 362 |
| Downloads: | 274 |
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