Re: How about the Navy Band?


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Posted by Sean Chisham on July 19, 2000 at 14:36:17:

In Reply to: How about the Navy Band? posted by Julian on July 19, 2000 at 03:22:04:

All 5 branches of the military have special bands. The Navy also has one in Washington, DC. In fact, my wife plays horn for them. The Navy also has a second special band at the US Naval Academy down the road in Annapolis, MD. The Army has 4 special bands. Pershing's Own, the Army Field Band, the Fife and Drum Corps, and the West Point Academy Band. The Coast Guard has one at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. The Marines have the President's Own in DC. The Air Force has the US Air Force Band in DC. I don't know much about the Air Force Academy Band in Colorado.

All of the special bands start you out at the rank of E6 with the exception of the Naval Academy Band, which is an E5 band. Hopefully they will be able to alleviate that some day, but for now they start at E5. Every military band requires basic training except for the US Coast Guard Academy Band and the US Marine Band, President's Own. While in basic training you have the same rank as any other recruit/private who is joining the military. After basic, though, you don't have to go to AIT, i.e. school. You report to your band and start doing your job. The Navy Band gives you your E6 rank the day you leave basic. The US Army Band makes you stay at your entrance rank for 8 weeks following basic training. I am not sure how the Air Force and Marine Bands here in town do it.

For those in the regular military, they must attend AIT after basic for several weeks to get the military's version of a music school. There you learn about not only music theory and history, but also marching and military customs and ceremonies. After leaving school you go to your band, wherever that may be.

If you are serious about joining up for one of the fleet/post bands then talk to someone who is actually in the music program. Recruiters know very little to nothing about their branches music programs. Someone who is part of the program can tell you where the better bands are. There are different tiers of bands in the field also. For instance, in the Army, if you can into the US Continental Army Band or the Army Ground Forces Band or the US Army Europe Band or any of several other well established bands then you will probably get more musical satisfaction then if you are in the 999th Army Band stationed in South Pole, Antarctica. Try to get a spot in the best band you can and get it in your contract before you commit. It MUST be in your contract or you could end up pulling guard duty in a DMZ in southeast Asia for a year or two.

Also look into enlistment bonuses. They come and go throughout the year. Today there may be no extra money for you and tommorrow there would be a $10,000 sign on bonus. If you do your 3-6 years and decide that wearing funny green or white or blue outfits is not for you anymore, than you will still have $60,000 from the GI bill for college. Overall it ain't a bad deal. God, I am starting to sound like a recruiter. Did I mention to bring plenty of quarters to basic training for the video game and candy bar machines? :)

Look at the various web pages for the different bands and try to get in email contact with a member of the band there. Everyone is on email these days. They will usually be very happy to explain what their day to day work is and their overall impressions of their jobs.

good luck,
sean "being all he can be" chisham



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