I was watching this on World News With Peter Jennings:
It seems that the US Armed Forces don't have enough buglers to play Taps at all the Veterans' funerals, these days. After all, a lot of WWII vets are in their 80's. It's a natural thing, I guess.

What's NOT natural was that some bone head got the idea that it would be a good thing to use a boom box (portable stereo) to play Taps on! No, they didn't even have a guy "fake it" on the bugle while the song played from the CD player at his feet.

Naturally, a lot of families started complaining. Pretty much shows a lack of respect that they can't even play Taps at the guy's funeral, if you ask me!

So... What's the Army do?
They invent the Self-Playing Bugle!
Yes, folks, that's right! Any monkey can now play Taps at your funeral! It's a simple miracle of modern technology! An electronic "gizmo" stuffed up inside a slightly larger-than-average bugle has a button and a loudspeaker in it. Just press the button and then, after a 5 second delay, the music plays!

It's a multi-million dollar solution to the age-old problem of grabbing some enlisted guy, shoving a bugle in his hand and telling him he has 7 days to learn how to play FOUR FREAKING NOTES on a tin horn!

Fer' Cripe-Sake! When I was a kid, we used to get a piece of rubber hose and an old metal funnel and have "hours of fun" playing tunes on it!

Ok ok, I think this self-playing bugle thing is one of the worst inventions in the history of man, its just stupid!

The above being said…In reference to the above quote, it is a lot harder to play these 4 FREAKING notes then one would think. The four notes are within a 2 octave range and anyone who plays the bugle, or trumpet knows that this is very difficult. I can play taps easily on my trumpet but I think its took me at least a year to play it clearly without any problems, difficulties, or slip up of notes (and I was a pretty fast learner). To play this (particularly the high note ) you not only need to practice a lot but you also need to have your lips in tip top shape (sounds funny but its true). Blowing some noise from a bugle and playing a 2-octave ranged song is 2 completely different things. Ok, I vented!

I was just dramatizing in order that I more easily vent my spleen.

***Just for the record, I am in no way saying that playing the bugle is easier then killing a person. Killing a person is something that I do not believe I could ever do. My statment above was just talking about targets, not living objects. /End legal statement so I do not get yelled at.

We're talking about (arguably) the mightiest military force in the world. We have some of the roughest, toughest, meanest and smartest sons of a mother trucker who ever ate lightning and crapped thunder BUT for all the things we can teach them to do... operate the worlds most complex computers or fly the worlds most technologicaly advanced aircraft... we can't find enough people smart enough to play the BUGLE?!

Hard as it may be to play the bugle I just have a hard time believing that we can't teach somebody to play one. If I was capable of it would learn how to play, even if I ended up being just a "one trick pony".

No, I think people have just stopped CARING. People forget how meaningful something so seemingly mundane as a handshake and a salute (or just a simple wave of the hand and a smile) can be.

An electronic bugle is just about the same thing as getting an important message by e-mail.

Self-Playing Bugle = Stupid...stupid stupid!

Playing a bugle is not a "Hard" thing to do, intelligent wise...on the true bugles there are not even any keys. What it takes to play taps is lip muscle, something you need to build up over time. Throw a bugle in someones hands and tell them to learn but know that it will take some time...it will not give instant results. It won't take as much time as teaching someone how to operate the worlds most complex computers or fly the worlds most technologicaly advanced aircraft but it will take some.

The bugle is hard.

Maybe I am not remembereing my music theory well, but it seems that Taps covers a one octave range, not 2. The high note is one octave above the lowest note. Any music majors out there to correct me?

I am sure I could not do it well, but then my lips never would work right on a trumpet, cornet or bugle. But just give me a clarinet and I could wail!!!

Just a few links to volunteer buglers not in the armed services: here here

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How did we come to the accepted idea in this country that if a hunk of electronic gear can do something instead of a human, it is ALWAYS the better solution? Not in this case. And I'll bet all the veterans who are marching on hundreds of parades today will agree.