HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- A band made up of Henrico police officers performed for folks waiting to get vaccinated against COVID-19 at Richmond Raceway Wednesday.
Lt. Rocky Motley, who will celebrate 24 years on the force this summer, said the Henrico Police Acoustic Blue Band was excited to finally perform for the public.
“Today's our debut,” Lt. Motley said. “We've been trying for about a year now, and obviously COVID kind of put a stalemate on that.”
The foursome, who did play for a school before the pandemic hit, hopes their performances bring people together.
“Music tends to heal the soul a lot of times, and so that's our goal,” Lt. Motley said.
The veteran officer said he hopes their music will connect and resonate with the community and also prompt a dialogue about “sharing differences and talking them out.”
“Whatever it brings, it brings -- and just having a good time and bringing people together,” he said.
While his bandmates, Paul Loy on guitar, Philip Moyer on stand up bass and Doug Trammell on banjo, describe the group as a bluegrass band, Lt. Motley said he thinks of the group as a “no-genre band with a bluegrass flavor.”
“We're all acoustic, and that's unique about us,” Lt. Motley explained. “We're not plugged in, we don't have any computers. So when they all go to the wrong cord, and you know, it's acoustic. It’s raw, it's just metal and wood…”
The group hopes to perform at community events and churches.
“Wherever they'll have us, we would love to come out and come out and play,” Lt. Motley said.
Virginians age 16+ now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine. Register on the Vaccinate Virginia website or call 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-275-8343). You can search for specific vaccines as well as which are available near you via the Vaccine Finder website.
Have You Been Fully Vaccinated?
People are considered fully vaccinated:
- 2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
- 2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine
How to Protect Yourself and Others When You’ve Been Fully Vaccinated
COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.
We’re still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19. After you’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you should keep taking precautions—like wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces—in public places until we know more.
These recommendations can help you make decisions about daily activities after you are fully vaccinated. They are not intended for healthcare settings.
Click here for more information from the Virginia Department of Health.
