The Power of Music from Tech Sgt. Michael Bielenberg

Note: In May, Local Notes ran , a division of the 530th Air Force Band. Members of the band enlist just like any other military member, auditioning for the chance to serve their country through their talents in music. Sound Barrier is set to play this week’s Friday Night Live at Atlantic Station. Today, we profile Tech Sgt. Michael Bielenberg, the leader of Sound Barrier.

When thinking about how he got started in music, Michael Bielenberg says he wishes he had a “cooler” story.

“My mom made me take all those horrible piano lessons,” Bielenberg said. “I was getting ready to quit, but my friends thought it was cool I could play Journey songs.”

So began a lifetime in music for Bielenberg, who kept playing piano throughout his school years. Then, right out of school, the military auditioned him for a spot in the band. A great opportunity, he said, because it allowed him a chance to go to college, studying music at Georgia State University. Joining the military also gave him much needed discipline.

Boot camp “was great,” he said. “Going through boot camp was exactly what I needed at 18 years old. It was the smartest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

With the musical experience the military allowed him, Bielenberg was able to pursue his dream of working in music for television. He co-founded Music Revolution, a website where independent musicians get the chance to have their music played on shows and commercials. Musicians can upload songs, and then a television company can use the site to find, pay for and download a song for a specific spot.

When he’s not working with his company, he’s touring as a pianist and lead singer with the 530th Air Force Band, acting as a liaison between the pubic and the military. As civilians, we feel greatly privileged to have men and women so willing to serve in our military. For Bielenberg, the honor to have the opportunity to serve is just as strong.

“You’d be surprised at how powerful music is for people,” he said, recounting significant times in his career—everything from helping young students realize their potential in music to playing for troops shipping out to war in Iraq. “Music touches people in a way nothing else can. It’s a privilege to be a part of that.”

He takes his role seriously, but he said the “booty-shaking” Sound Barrier group is all about getting people up and dancing, playing songs from Earth, Wind and Fire, Van Morrison, Jimmy Buffet and Ray Charles. The band also incorporates more patriotic songs into its repertoire.

Bielenberg remembers a performance in Savannah last Memorial Day. Sound Barrier closed the show with Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” and the crowd’s whole demeanor shifted. They circled around the band, joining in on the song.

“It was very moving to watch,” Bielenberg said. “It’s great to see people remember how much they love their country.”