Photo By Lance Cpl. Braydon Rogers | U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Shelby Petersen, a vocalist with Marine Corps Quantico Band,...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. – As the lights dim, a hush sweeps over the audience – the anticipation builds. From the wings, steps a Marine in her iconic dress blue uniform. Her smile and poise grabs the audience’s attention. As she raises the microphone she draws in a breath and releases the first note letting her powerful voice fill the air.
“I always dreamt of it – singing,” said Sgt. Shelby Petersen with a velvety resonance that rounded the edges in the interview room. “I always sang to myself. It was therapeutic in a way, you know?”
Petersen recalls singing as young as three years old but explained she wasn’t confident in her singing ability growing up. When some of her siblings heard her sing, they would tease her and yell at her to stop, she explained while chuckling. Some even told her that singing was an unrealistic dream.
Fortunately for her, there was also plenty of positive support among her family.
Petersen grew up with her unusually large family. With 19 siblings, they all grew up in northern Montana about 75 miles from the Canadian border in a small town called Kalispell. At only a year and half old, she entered foster care. She was adopted when she was four years old. Petersen grew up homeschooled – until she attended Glacier High School – along with her 19 siblings, whose ages currently span from nine to 51 years old.
Laughing, she said, “It was quite a trip.”
The first three oldest of the siblings are her parent’s biological children, and the other 16 are all adopted.
Petersen’s mother works as a certified nursing assistant at 73 years old, a job she’s been doing as long as Petersen can remember. She added that her mother always looked after children, especially those who she felt were neglected.
“My father just couldn’t say no to her,” Petersen explained, acknowledging her father’s commitment to help his wife with her altruistic calling.
Petersen’s family ended up adopting a few more daughters than sons, but all together they are a diverse family with different ethnicities and backgrounds. Petersen is somewhere in the middle of all the children. She tried to remember which order she was in, looking toward the sky and counting down out loud and with her fingers.
“Probably around 12,” she said after pausing to count.
Although many of her siblings teased her singing when she was younger, there was also a lot of support.
One of her older brothers, Brannon, the youngest of her parent’s biological siblings, raced in motorcross at The Majestic Valley Arena. When Petersen was only nine years old, Brannon used his connections to give Petersen an opportunity to sing the National Anthem during a motorcross there.
She had other opportunities to showcase her voice, though; even as early as four, she placed third at a talent show, marking that as her first experience singing on a stage in front of people.
She explained that while she did have some exposure to crowds with singing, it wasn’t much, and it was really uncomfortable for her. She lacked confidence but always tried to put herself in those types of positions to become a version of her who she wanted to be.
As she got older, Petersen continued to position herself to be challenged, to grow, and to become more confident. At 12, she joined the local Civil Air Patrol.
“That program really made me the person I am today,” she said with her chin high and back straight.
During her time in the Civil Air Patrol, she earned the Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award, the highest achieving award for cadets within the program, where less than a percentage of the entire cadet body earns this award. Petersen, who also earned the highest rank in the program, was the first Montanan to earn this award since 2004.
Petersen believes the Civil Air Patrol program taught her a lot about what to prepare for in the military, and it reinforced the image she wanted for herself as “someone with a lot of self-discipline and confidence in themselves.”
She worked a few jobs but knew she wanted to join the military. So, when it came time to choose, she decided again to challenge herself. As she explained, the Marine Corps was toughest one and it intimidated her.
“I had a vision of what kind of person I wanted to be,” she said. “I figured I should pick the toughest direction and face those intimidations if I want to become that person.”
In January of 2020, Petersen enlisted as an Aviation Ordnance Systems Technician and was later assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 39 at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California. In 2022, she deployed with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and during her time on deployment, she (of course) would sing.
On liberty calls, when she was off duty, Petersen and her fellow Marines enjoyed singing karaoke in the local area. Petersen’s friends quickly recognized her talent and began encouraging Petersen to pursue a future with it. Eventually, with the support from her command, Petersen applied for a lateral move, hoping to become a vocalist in a Marine Corps Band.
“[Aviation ordnance] was a really cool job, and I got to do a lot of cool things – and I loved it; I definitely loved it,” Petersen explained. “But I am definitely way more passionate about music.”
After returning from deployment in June 2023, she did on the job training with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band in Miramar, California, where she met and shadowed Cpl. Julia West, the vocalist for that band.
“She helped me out once a week doing lessons and telling me what to expect for the audition,” Petersen said.
West gave Petersen vocal tips, helping her with her transitions, stage presence, and even song selections.
In August of 2023, she auditioned with the 3rd MAW Band.
“If it weren’t for Julia West, I probably wouldn’t have made it,” she cheerfully said while scoffing. “You know, I probably wouldn’t have met the expectations.”
Her audition consisted of performing prepared songs but also songs provided for her; she was assessed on her technique, vocal range, and overall strengths and weaknesses, and if those weaknesses can be helped within the period of a few months.
“Having Spada there really made me more comfortable, too,” Petersen said.
Sgt. Sicilia Spada Speno was one of Petersen’s noncommissioned officers at MALS-39, 3rd MAW. They met shortly after Petersen checked into the unit.
Spada said Petersen impressed all the NCOs with her work ethic and character. As Petersen promoted to corporal, the two Marines grew to become close friends.
“I always admired her, because she never made me feel like I was a burden to hang out with,” Spada said.
When Spada’s husband deployed, Spada spent most of her time with their one-year-old daughter. Even though she was with her daughter, she still felt alone and sometimes overwhelmed.
“Petersen made me enjoy the little moments, like coming home from work and being able to make a home-cooked meal and watch TV with company.”
But Petersen was more than that to Spada’s young daughter. One evening they went out to dinner but were faced with a long wait, especially for toddler who began to fuss. Surrounded by irritated people in a waiting area became a stressful situation for Spada.
“We were thinking of ways to entertain her, and we kept coming short,” Spada said. “Then Shelby started singing a Disney song … and my daughter instantly stopped fussing to listen to her.”
So, when it came to seeing Petersen audition for the Marine Corps Band, “I told her I wouldn’t miss it.”
“I could tell she looked to me for quick confidence boosts. I just met her gaze with a big smile each time to let her know she was doing great! It was an honor to be there and see her perform.”
Petersen’s hard work paid off. She was approved for the military occupational specialty lateral move from Aviation Ordnance Systems Technician to Musician and checked into the Naval School of Music in Virginia Beach, Virginia in January. While there, she studied basic music theory, jazz improvisation, minor percussion instruments, how to read music, and even playing piano, something she had never done.
Petersen graduated from her MOS school in June and made her way up to Northern Virginia where she joined the Quantico Marine Band here.
“She came straight from a unit that had deployed – she’s ready to take charge of other Marines,” said Gunnery Sgt. Brandon Johnson, the production manager with the QMB. “She brings a certain level of intensity in communication, and that shows up on stage where she’s not afraid of the crowd and she’s ready to take control of them.”
Johnson explained that vocalists represent the entire ensemble that plays music behind them, but from the perspective of the audience, Petersen represents the Marine Corps. The Quantico Marine Band performs at local, national and inter-national events, reaching wide and diverse populations, and in many cases, the band may be the first image of a U.S. Marine they see, so their performance and presentation is very important.
“Marine vocalists are the face of the Corps while on stage,” Johnson said. “If a note goes wrong in the ensemble, it can be hard for the crowd to discern, but if the vocalist makes a mistake, it’s very noticeable.”
Johnson also explained that Petersen has an unusually low range for a female vocalist, an alto, but “it gives her something amazing.”
Petersen sings a wide range of songs including: The National Anthem, Marines’ Hymn, Anchors Aweigh, classics from Frank Sinatra, and even songs like Respect by Aretha Franklin and Enter the Sandman by Metallica, which is one of her favorites to sing.
Heavy metal and rock songs are the types “she jumps right into with an unusual intensity,” according to Johnson.
Now that Petersen is at Quantico, she travels with the band with opportunities to perform around the world, singing at events like the New York City Veteran’s Day Parade and the Marine Corps Marathon with more potential opportunities coming up for next year’s Virginia International Tattoo and Marine Weeks celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary.
The Quantico Marine Band can’t predict the events they will perform overseas, as it is can be situational dependent, according to Johnson. But they have previously performed at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland, concerts in Finland, and events in Italy, Ghana, and others.
All of these events will now be sung by Petersen, the voice of MCB Quantico. For the audience members attending the various events she can be seen as the voice of the Marine Corps – a likeness to a dream of the little four-year-old girl who first sang on a local stage.
“When I joined the Marine Corps, I didn’t think that I could ever be a singer – especially in the military,” Petersen said. “I thought I was just going to stay aviation ordnance my whole career.”
Well, Petersen’s life started with decisions being made for her, but she grew up to take control of the direction her life was going. That became apparent when she joined the Civil Air Patrol, then decided to enlist as a Marine, and again when she chose to pursue singing in the Corps.
She admitted that throughout this journey from singing before the Corps and where she is now, Petersen always had her biological family on her mind. She had an established relationship with her biological mother since a young age, but she often thought of her biological father and what he may have looked like. She knew his name, but she couldn’t find him.
“The state of Montana couldn’t even find him,” she said matter-of-factly.
About seven years ago, before joining the Marine Corps, she took a DNA test. In November of 2023, she started messaging relatives through the DNA-site’s application to see if anyone knew of him.
Well, one of her cousins responded, and through that, she finally met her father this year.
“Now, I have a relationship with both of my biological parents,” Petersen explained, but she wanted to distinguish that she attributes the person she is today to her "mom and dad," the adopted parents.
She emphasized that they were “the ones who raised me.”
“They taught me how to work hard through their example, and they always supported me.”
Her parents – all of them – are proud of her, she said, with a special emphasis to her adopted parents. And she thanks everyone for all their help, criticism, and encouragement since she was a little girl.
“I would tell my childhood self that you are worth more than you think, and you are your worst critic,” she said. “Don’t let yourself beat yourself up over chances you haven’t even started yet.”
Petersen began to consider, “what if her childhood self can see her now?” And her eyebrows scrunched together, furrowing in the center with an emotional expression.
“She would probably cry,” she expressed. “I was very much in my own shell, and I wouldn’t even make eye contact with people; I was very shy and timid.”
Even though she saw herself this way, she always sang to herself.
“Any time I felt sad or happy—”
Petersen paused briefly to think again.
“–really any feeling! I just want to sing based on how I am feeling.”
“If it’s a dream of yours, don’t give up on it,” Petersen said definitively. “No matter where you are in life, whatever opportunities you get or lack-thereof, it’s really important to take the time for the things that make you feel alive and make your soul feel whole.”
The Quantico Marine Band and Petersen’s next performance will be at the base theatre for the Holiday Concert on Dec. 15 from 3 P.M. to 4 P.M. For more information of this event and future events follow QMB’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/quanticomarinecorpsband/.
| Date Taken: | 12.06.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.06.2024 09:15 |
| Story ID: | 486806 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | KALISPELL, MONTANA, US |
| Web Views: | 793 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ordnance to an Audience: US Marine changes trajectory to pursue passion in singing, by Shaehmus Sawyer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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