For 30 consecutive days this September, the sound of a live bugle will carry across Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo as part of an initiative led by Samford University alumnus Matthew Burford.
Burford, MDiv ’07, DMin ’16, is the founder of Real Taps for Real Heroes, an Alabama nonprofit that connects trained buglers with military families and ceremonies. Throughout September, his latest initiative, 30 Days of Real Taps, is bringing a volunteer musician to Alabama National Cemetery at 4:30 p.m. each day to sound Taps live in honor of the veterans buried there. The monthlong effort began Sept. 1 and will continue through Sept. 30.
The effort calls attention to a challenge Burford has worked to address for years: a shortage of musicians available to play Taps at military funerals and ceremonies. In some cases, families instead hear a recorded version of the 24-note call.
“Too many families still hear a recording instead of a person,” Burford said. “We want every veteran at rest on those grounds to be honored with the 24 notes played live.”
Burford, who teaches in Samford’s Core Texts Program, began playing Taps at veterans’ funeral services in his early 20s after years of playing trumpet in high school and college. Though he did not serve in the military, Burford’s connection to veterans is personal. Both of his grandfathers served during World War II, and Burford grew up near Fort McClellan in Anniston, where many of his friends came from military families.
He eventually connected with Bugles Across America, an organization that provides live buglers for veterans’ funerals. As the number of available buglers declined, Burford saw an opportunity to recruit and prepare a new generation of musicians for the service.
He founded Real Taps for Real Heroes to raise awareness of the need and connect trumpet, cornet and bugle players with military families throughout Alabama. The organization particularly encourages high school and college musicians to participate, and Burford has established a $1,000 college scholarship for student participants.
The 30 Days of Real Taps initiative builds on that work by creating a visible, monthlong demonstration of what Burford believes live music can bring to the remembrance of veterans.
“Live, real time, incarnational playing is better,” Burford said. “You’re doing it to serve.”
Burford has already recruited musicians for most days in September, including members of the Samford community, but is seeking additional trumpet, cornet and bugle players to fill remaining dates. Volunteers may participate for a single afternoon or multiple days.
Each musician will sound Taps once at 4:30 p.m. at Alabama National Cemetery, 3133 Highway 119 in Montevallo. Players are asked to arrive by 4:20 p.m. and wear conservative formal attire.
Those interested in participating or learning more about the initiative may contact Burford at mrburfor@samford.edu.
For Burford, the initiative is ultimately about giving veterans and their families a personal expression of gratitude.
“Our veterans gave everything they had,” Burford said. “These 24 notes are a small way to answer that gift with a living voice instead of a speaker.”
