Jari Villanueva
Bugler and Brass Historian

Jari Villanueva holds degrees from The Peabody Conservatory of Music of The Johns Hopkins University and Kent State University. He has sounded Taps over 2000 times at Arlington National Cemetery and other cemeteries as a military bugler. Considered the country’s foremost authority on US military bugle calls and the bugle call Taps, he was responsible for moving the bugle used at President John F. Kennedy’s funeral from The Smithsonian to Arlington, where it remains on display in the Visitor Center.

Jari is the author of “Twenty-four Notes That Tap Deep Emotions: The Story of America’s Most Famous Bugle Call.” He has published numerous articles on the history of US bugle calls and brass bands of the Civil War and is currently working on a book on the subject. His articles have been published in the International Trumpet Guild, NY Brass Conference for Scholarships, The Washington Times, The Washington Post, and The Navy Times. Jari has been interviewed numerous times for newspapers and radio programs across the country and was featured in a History Channel segment on the origin of Taps as well as a CBN segment on the 140th anniversary of the creation of the call. Many articles and much additional information on Taps, bugles, and buglers throughout history can be found on his website at www.tapsbugler.com. Jari is an associate member of the Society of the Honor Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He is also an active Civil War re-enactor, sounding bugle calls for Co. D, 3rd US Regular Infantry and as chief bugler and principal musician for Vincent’s Brigade. He is co-founder and director of The Federal City Brass Band, which performs Civil War era music on original 19th century instruments. In 2001 Jari served as assistant to the music supervisor for the movie Gods and Generals and also sounded bugle calls for the soundtrack and appeared as a bugler in several scenes. He was a consultant to the designers of the American Heritage Field Trumpet, a bugle made by the Getzen Company. A free-lance musician and accomplished arranger with many published selections to his credit, Jari also serves on the faculty of the Music Department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he is Director of Bands. He lives in Catonsville, Maryland, with his wife Heather.

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