Bradford native receives Outstanding Military Musician Award

by Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va.  - A Bradford, Virginia, native received the Col. Finley R. Hamilton Outstanding Military Musician Award serving at U.S. Fleet Forces Band  (USFFB) in Norfolk, Virginia.

Navy Musician 2nd Class Nicole Starr received the award for her outstanding musical and leadership excellence.

The Outstanding Military Musician Award is named after Col. Finley R. Hamilton.  It acknowledges U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard enlisted musicians, and honors the memory of Colonel Finley R. Hamilton, U.S Army (Ret.), who succumbed to cancer while serving as President of the National Band Association (NBA).

USFFB, known as “The Finest of the Fleet,” is the musical representative for Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia. The band provides musical support for ships, military bases, foreign dignitaries and community events throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Ohio River Valley areas of the United States.  

 Starr graduated from Navy RTC in December of 2015. After completing “A’ School, Nicole was assigned to the USFFBand as a clarinet instrumentalist. She currently serves as the unit leader for the clarinet trio and as an outreach and Command Fitness Leader assistant and also performed with the Kwa-Zulu Natal Philharmonic in South Africa

Prior to her service in the Navy, she received a degree in music education from the University of New Hampshire and a Master’s in clarinet performance from the University of Southern California.

Outside of the Navy, Nicole enjoys gardening, cooking, and doing crafts with her 5-year-old daughter.

Nicole is married to trumpet instrumentalist Musician 3rd Class Jon Starr, who is currently on deployment with Continuing Promise 2018.