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Mason Gross Graduate Composes Hymn Used at Carter Funeral

Army Staff Sgt. Andrew Kosinski

A Tempo host Rachel Katz speaks with Army Staff Sgt. Andrew Kosinski, a member of the U.S. Army Band, who composed music for the funeral proceedings of former President Jimmy Carter.

A graduate of the Mason Gross School of the Arts played a key role in one aspect of the formal events surrounding the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter on Jan. 9 – the funeral hymn that was performed as the casket was brought up the stairs to the National Cathedral. Army Staff Sgt. Andrew Kosinski was tasked with composing the piece, which had to take into account how the frigid temperatures would impact the performance by the musicians of the U.S. Army band.

Kosinski, a 2020 graduate in composition and trumpet performance at Mason Gross, went on to earn his masters from John Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute of Music. He turned down a scholarship offer to pursue a PhD at the University of Georgia and instead chose to accept the position with the army band. In this interview, A Tempo host Rachel Katz chats with him about the experience of writing the piece and his duties with the band.

(An excerpt of this interview aired on A Tempo on Jan. 11)

Army Staff Sgt. Andrew Kosinski, a composer and music arranger for the U.S. Army Band.
Army Staff Sgt. Andrew Kosinski, a composer and music arranger for the U.S. Army Band.

Rachel Katz is the host of A Tempo which airs Saturdays at 7 pm.