SMYRNA, Tenn. — A hometown musician who once struggled to make a middle school band has now earned a spot in one of the nation’s most prestigious ensembles — and he’s coming back to Tennessee this fall. Staff Sergeant Shawn Zheng, a horn player with “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, will perform just a few miles from his hometown as part of the band’s 2025 National Concert Tour.
The free concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, October 6, 2025, inside the Stewarts Creek High School Main Gymnasium in Smyrna. Admission is free, but tickets are required, with a maximum of four per request. Tickets are valid until 7:15 p.m., after which seating will open to the general public.
Zheng, who grew up in Murfreesboro, first picked up his instrument as a student at Central Magnet School. In seventh grade, he couldn’t even make the Mid-State Band. But through persistence and years of practice, he blossomed into a standout musician — even performing at New York’s Carnegie Hall at age 16 in 2017.
Now a member of America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization, Zheng tours with a band that has played for every U.S. President since John Adams in 1801. Known as “The President’s Own” since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the Marine Band’s mission is to provide music for the President and the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
The 2025 National Concert Tour marks the 105th tour in the band’s history, covering 28 concerts in 30 days across ten states, including Tennessee. Carrying on the tradition begun in 1891 by the legendary John Philip Sousa, current Director Lt. Col. Ryan Nowlin has crafted programs that blend marches, traditional band repertoire, and featured solos from Marine Band musicians.
- To reserve tickets now, visit: U.S. Marine Band Concert: Smyrna, TN in Smyrna - Checkout
Concert sponsors note that no large bags or backpacks will be permitted inside the venue. Tickets remain available online but are expected to go quickly.
For more information, visit www.marineband.marines.mil.
