Pearland High alumnus Jonathan Craft plays trombone in Army's Pershing's Own, credits local band teachers

Jonathan Craft, a 2014 graduate of Pearland High School and a staff sergeant in the United States Army’s Pershing’s Own ceremonial band, told Pearland ISD’s Building Blocks podcast that his time in the Pride of Pearland marching band and study with private instructor Brian Logan were pivotal to a music career that now includes playing at Arlington National Cemetery and performances for visiting world leaders.

Craft said his job with Pershing’s Own is “about 90%” funerals at Arlington National Cemetery and the remainder “foreign visiting dignitaries and foreign leaders,” and described the work as “diplomacy through music.” He told host Superintendent Berger that the role is “really rewarding” because families remember those musical moments for a long time.

The interview placed Craft’s experience in local context: he described joining band after watching an older brother, making All‑State as a junior and senior, and winning a full scholarship to Indiana University. He credited Pearland band directors Beau Hunter and Tom Bell, percussion instructors, and his private teacher, Brian Logan, for preparing him to audition for college and later for the Army band. “I was way ahead of the curve,” Craft said of the musical foundation he gained in Pearland.

Craft explained that Pershing’s Own musicians are active‑duty soldiers who must complete basic training; most come with advanced civilian musical education, allowing them to enter at higher ranks. “We start as an E‑4, which is a specialist in the Army, and we get promoted to E‑6, a staff sergeant,” he said, describing rank progression intended to align pay with civilian orchestral positions.

Craft outlined practical skills used in the band: frequent sight‑reading for short‑notice ceremonies, and the ability to learn national anthems or ceremonial pieces quickly because of security and scheduling realities. He described audition requirements that test sight‑reading for that reason.

Beyond ceremonial duties, Craft said Pershing’s Own performs at major Washington, D.C., sites including the Pentagon, the White House, and the Capitol, and that he has played for Presidents Biden and Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris and foreign leaders including President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Emmanuel Macron. He said the band also includes ensembles such as the Army Blues (jazz) and Downrange (rock), and that he sometimes subs with those groups.

Craft lives in Fort Washington, Maryland, with his wife and two dogs, teaches four to five middle‑ and high‑school students and one college student, and described teaching as a way to give back. He emphasized steady practice and short‑term goal setting for students: “Focus on small short term goals… keep practicing every day, keep listening to music.”

Superintendent Berger framed the interview as an example of how the district’s programs can prepare students for diverse careers. The conversation was an interview and exchange of reflections; no district policy or formal action was taken during the episode.

For listeners, Craft recommended gratitude for teachers and community supports and urged young musicians to persist: “There’s no shortcuts… you have to put in the time and the practice.”

The episode runs as part of the Building Blocks podcast series produced by Pearland ISD to highlight alumni and district programs.