With heavy hearts, we share the passing of CW3 Jonathan L. Crane, Commander and Bandmaster of the 25th Infantry Division (25ID) Band, after his courageous fight with cancer. His leadership, passion, and dedication to the 25th Infantry Division Band, the Army Band Community, and the Adjutant General's Corps Regimental Association (AGCRA) will forever inspire us.
Chief Crane strongly advocated for AGCRA contributing myriad professional articles on the history and current contributions of Army Bands. In partnership with AGCRA, he sought to strengthen the connection between Army Musicians and the official branch they belong to, the Army's AG Corps. A glowing example of this is Chief Crane's AGCRA Facebook post that tells the shared story of Army Bands and the Corps (Facebook Post).
In memory of Chief Crane, his biography follows.
Chief Jonathan Crane graduated from The Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut. Along with his Hartt School Artist Diploma in composition, he has a Master's in composition from Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, and a Bachelor's in Music Education from Lebanon Valley College, Annville, Pennsylvania. In 2013, Chief Crane was given the National Federation of Music Clubs Military Composition Award for "Open Field." He was a contributing author to “Music Therapy with Military and Veteran Populations,” Frontiers in Psychology, Modern War Institute, and "1775," The Journal of the AGCRA.
Chief Crane attended basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina in 2009. His first duty station was with the 25ID. While with the 25ID, he deployed to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn. He has also served with the Signal Corps Band from Fort Gordon, Georgia. In 2014, he graduated from Warrant Officer Candidate School and became the United States Army Military Intelligence Corps Band Commander until 2017. From 2017-2021 he was a research analyst for the West Point Music Research Center, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York.
Chief Crane’s military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (1 OLC), Army Commendation Medal (4 OLC), Army Achievement Medal (1 OLC), Humanitarian Defense Medal, and Iraq Campaign Medal (1 Star).
Chief Crane leaves behind his bride, Nicole, and they have two children.
