When Chance Reyes of Bayard started playing the trumpet in fifth grade, his grandfather, a former Marine, asked him if he would learn to play Taps on the trumpet. Reyes did, and he began playing Taps for Veterans Day and Memorial Days programs and also at military funerals. Reyes’ grandpa passed away in 2019, but Reyes has continued to play Taps every chance he gets, for he knows it’s what his grandpa would want him to do to honor those who have sacrificed so much for their country.
JEFF FIELDER Editor
BAYARD – Growing up, Chance Reyes always wanted to learn to play the trumpet. He finally got his chance in fifth grade, when he joined Bayard Elementary School’s band.
“I always liked the sounds a trumpet makes, and I knew there would be a lot of songs I could learn on the trumpet that I could play at different events,” he said. “I was really excited to get started.”
His grandpa, the late Nolan Biesanz, was excited, too, although for a different reason. Biesanz, who fought in the Vietnam War as a Marine, was hoping his grandson would learn to play “Taps,” a song played on the trumpet that remembers those who gave their lives in the service of the United States military.
“I’ve always had respect for the armed services, and when my grandpa told me about Taps, I was excited to learn how to play it for him,” Reyes said.
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