By the time she was 14, Cher-Ann Brangman had fallen in love with the saxophone and decided it was to be a lifelong affair.She was not alone in thinking she had talent.Her cousin, Major Barrett Dill, then the director of music for the Bermuda Regiment Band and Corps of Drums, sought her out after she took the top spot in the New Testament Church of God Teen Talent Competition.“He asked my mom if I was interested in joining the regiment and I said sure, I would try out,” Ms Brangman said. “I just loved it. I guess it was the structure — the ability to learn something and apply it at that same time.“So at 14, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to travel the world — and play in David Letterman’s band.”A year in, she gave up on celebrity, deciding Major Dill’s job would be good enough. “I had no other aspirations in life,” she said. “I come from a single-parent home and wasn’t afforded all the luxuries and once I found something that allowed me to be stable and travel, do all the things I needed to do, I settled in.”That early training led her to where she is today: head of the Somerset Brigade Band and Bermuda’s “first-ever female director of music”.Although thrilled by the achievement, being “first” is not something Ms Brangman aspired to; she simply wanted to spread her love of music. She started two programmes after family commitments caused her to leave the regiment six years ago: Music & Me was aimed at toddlers; Foundations Academy of Music is offered to middle and high school students to spark interest in instrumental music at that age.“Bermuda’s bands are dying and I’m very passionate about music and education and purpose,” the 42-year-old said. “Not everyone will be academic, not everyone will be scientists; the arts are dying. At the moment, I can’t go to any one school and say I need [X amount of] trumpet players, drummers, sax players ...“I’d just come back from college where high school kids were ripping. I started wondering ... what do they do differently? They start younger. I thought if I can create a programme that’s suited for succession, there’s probably a better chance at making music successful in Bermuda, giving kids a fighting chance.”Somerset Brigade Band offered her the chance to build on that. The Alabama A&M University alumna officially became its director of music on July 4. “Being the first female didn’t hit me until August, until my first performance, where I was in front, the official leader. The next moment of reality was Remembrance Day when I took off down Front Street in front of everyone.”Last week, with outgoing director Major Leslie Lowe, she led the 25-member Somerset Brigade Band at its 90th anniversary celebrations at St James’ Church Hall.She hopes to expand its reach while keeping true to its roots.“I’m always thinking of the founders: would they be proud of me if I go this way? I’m very cognisant of keeping the original vision alive, making it more sustainable.”One of her goals is to create a group of 120 musicians, dancers and flag girls between the ages of 10 and 18, and take them to compete in battle of the bands competitions overseas.“There’s no cap on what you can or can’t play in the brigade, but when it comes to dancing, it’s more traditional. “I want to have a show-style marching band. Something that’s a little bit more entertaining to younger people, something with popular music. That’s what I want.”She feels the dream is possible if all of the island’s bands get involved: the Salvation Army, the Bermuda Islands Pipe Band, the Bermuda Regiment, the North Village Band and Somerset Brigade.“The only way forward is for us to link arms, to have feeders so we can pick and choose,” she said. • Contact Somerset Brigade Band on Facebook or somersetbrigadeband@gmail.com