Send us a text

What if one phone call could reroute your life’s soundtrack? That’s the energy running through our sit-down with Courtney Williams—a bass singer who grew from church harmonies in Tennessee to the Navy Sea Chanters, then stepped behind the mic as the announcing voice at four presidential inaugurations. His stories take us inside the craft and chaos of high-stakes ceremony: the long cold wait in the Capitol, the script that kept changing as dignitaries arrived out of order, the rush of nailing an introduction that millions would hear and none would forget.

Courtney walks us through turning points that feel both unlikely and inevitable. A UT scholarship made him realize opera wasn’t his path. A Marine Corps commitment almost took him one way, until the Sea Chanters audition took him another. Along the way, mentors opened doors, ensembles sharpened his technique, and recording sessions taught him the small decisions—vowels, blend, breath—that make a chorus feel like one voice. Then came the moments that live outside the rehearsal room: introducing Beyoncé and Kelly Clarkson at Obama’s inauguration, getting the quiet call to record the Super Bowl intro, and performing at the Pearl Harbor premiere on the deck of a ship in Hawaii.

The heart of this conversation is service through sound. We talk about the mission of military music—honoring the fallen, lifting the active force, and bridging the public with those who wear the uniform. Courtney shares the jolt he felt every time the Armed Forces medley brought veterans to their feet, and how sacred texts within choral repertoire can gently minister to a divided world without a sermon. Today, that same purpose guides his work in Charleston as executive director of Lowcountry Veterans Home, where he helps homeless veterans stabilize, find benefits and jobs, and step back into life with dignity.

If you love music, military stories, or the way one steady voice can move a room, you’ll feel at home here. Press play, share it with a friend who needs a shot of courage, and leave us a review so more people can find these stories.

Support the show

Just Keep Singing

A single song on a dusty flight line can change the ending of someone’s story. That’s where we start with Ryan Carson—third-generation Air Force, Singing Sergeants alum, and former frontman of the service’s show group that became Max Impact—who shares how music carried him from White House holiday rooms to forward operating bases few airmen ever reach.

We revisit the whirlwind of 1999 when diplomas, weddings, and basic training stacked up, and the young voices were thrown straight into medleys, ceremonies, and the quiet diplomacy of “quarters” gigs at generals’ homes. Ryan walks us through his move from the classical polish of the Singing Sergeants to the choreography, original writing, and top‑40 energy of High Flight and Max Impact. He explains why the band wrote songs like Send Me for Special Tactics, Stand for the Honor Guard, and Locked and Loaded during the post‑9/11 tempo—music crafted to honor, to steady nerves, and to put language to service when words fail.

Then we go downrange. Small teams, big stakes, and set lists designed for recognition and relief. After closing with Home, a Green Beret pressed his Special Forces patch into Ryan’s chest and said the music saved his life. That moment anchors a larger theme: music as a time machine and medicine, a bridge between uniforms and hometowns, and a way to humanize the people who carry the weight. We also talk about faith’s quiet thread in military music—how sacred texts live inside patriotic programs—and how worship leading and community roots shape life after retirement.

If you care about military music, morale, and the power a familiar song carries us through tough places, this one’s for you. Listen, share with someone who needs a lift, and if the show resonates, subscribe and leave a review so others can find these stories.

Support the show

Just Keep Singing