Date post: | 16-Jul-2015 |
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Many musicians don’t think of military career when
it comes to playing and performing music.
However, this path can provide talented musicians
with a dependable source of income, great benefits,
and a variety of opportunities.
E A C H B R A N C H O F T H E U S M I L I T A R Y — N A V Y , A R M Y ,
M A R I N E S , A I R F O R C E , A N D C O A S T G U A R D —
E M P L O Y E E F U L L - T I M E M U S I C E N S E M B L E S . T H E R E
A R E T W O T Y P E S O F E A C H G R O U P :
OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE ARMED FORCES
1) Premier bands. Ensemble members of
Premier bands have a guaranteed post, no worry
about being transferred. Hired musicians are
awarded the rank of E6. The 10 premier military
bands are housed in places like Washington DC or
service academies in West Point, Annapolis,
Colorado Springs, etc.
2) Regional bands. Some members can stay
with the same group for many years, however
reassignment to other ensembles can occur
because of manning shortages or openings in other
bands. Your entering status is determined by your
educational background. Musicians who have
college credit often start at the rank of E3. Regional
groups are housed on bases across the country
and abroad.
The term band are umbrella organizations
consisting of several performing ensembles. For
example, the US Army Field Band is made up of
chorus, concert band, pop combo, big band.
I N S T R U M E N T A L I S T S
N O N - P E R F O R M I N G S T A F F
V O C A L I S T S
C O N D U C T O R S
R E C O R D I N G / S O U N D E N G I N E E R S
C O M P O S E R S / A R R A N G E R S
Positions are available for:
E V E N W I T H O U T S E E I N G C O M B A T , M I L I T A R Y
M U S I C I A N S P R O V I D E A V A L U A B L E P A T R I O T I C
S E R V I C E .
Serving your country.
T H E R E A R E V E R Y F E W M U S I C J O B S T H A T C A N
P R O V I D E T H E L E V E L O F S E C U R I T Y T H A T T H E
M I L I T A R Y O F F E R S . A F T E R O B T A I N I N G A N E N S E M B L E
P O S I T I O N , Y O U C A N K E E P I T U N T I L R E T I R E M E N T A T
A G E 5 5 . M U S I C I A N S C A N ’ T B E F I R E D O R L A I D O F F
U N L E S S T H E Y M A K E A C A T A S T R O P H I C M I S T A K E A N D
A R E D I S H O N O R A B L Y D I S C H A R G E D O R R E A S S I G N E D .
Job security.
M A N Y G R O U P S P E R F O R M A T M E G A H I G H P R O F I L E
D I P L O M A T I C C E R E M O N I E S , T O U R , A N D R E C O R D .
E N S E M B L E S T Y P I C A L L Y P R O G R A M A W I D E V A R I E T Y
O F M U S I C A L G E N R E S . M E M B E R S A L S O H A V E T H E
O P T I O N O F P E R F O R M I N G I N C H A M B E R G R O U P S O R
B E I N G F E A T U R E D A S A S O L O I S T .
Opportunities.
C O M P R E H E N S I V E H E A L T H C A R E P R O G R A M S A R E
M A D E A V A I L A B L E T O A L L M E M B E R S .
Health care.
T H E M I L I T A R Y I S A B L E T O P A Y D O W N C O L L E G E D E B T ,
H E L P S U B S I D I Z E P R I V A T E L E S S O N S , A N D
C O N T R I B U T E F O R T H E C O S T O F A D D I T I O N A L
S C H O O L I N G . M I L I T A R Y P E R S O N N E L A R E A L S O
E L I G I B L E T O U T I L I Z E T H E G I B I L L .
Education/college repayment.
M E M B E R S M A Y L I V E O N B A S E A T N O C O S T , O R
R E C E I V E A N A L L O W A N C E F O R H O U S I N G . T H E Y A L S O
C O L L E C T A S T I P E N D F O R F O O D . A L L O W A N C E S A R E
N O N - T A X A B L E . I N S T R U M E N T A L I S T S A R E S U P P L I E D
W I T H P R O F E S S I O N A L Q U A L I T Y I N S T R U M E N T S . T H E S E
C A N O N L Y B E U S E D F O R O F F I C I A L M I L I T A R Y
E N G A G E M E N T S ( N O T O U T S I D E G I G S ) .
Other benefits.
W H E N Y O U A R E H I R E D I N T O A P R E M I E R B A N D ,
M E M B E R S A R E G R A N T E D T H E R A N K O F E 6
I M M E D I A T E L Y . T H I S I S V E R Y A T Y P I C A L F O R N O N -
M U S I C P E R S O N N E L , W H O H A V E T O W O R K 5 - 1 0 +
Y E A R S T O R E A C H T H A T S T A T U S .
Elite entering status.
J O I N I N G T H E M I L I T A R Y I S A W A Y T O D E V E L O P A M O R E
D I S C I P L I N E D L I F E S T Y L E .
Discipline.
M I L I T A R Y O B L I G A T I O N S O F C O U R S E T A K E
P R E C E D E N C E , B U T M O S T I F N O T A L L M U S I C I A N S L I N E
U P E X T R A W O R K A N D I N C O M E S O U R C E S .
Gigs on side.
Y O U R E C E I V E R E T I R E M E N T B E N E F I T S A F T E R 2 0
Y E A R S O F M I L I T A R Y S E R V I C E . R E T I R E E S R E C E I V E A
P E N S I O N T H A T I S E Q U I V A L E N T T O A R O U N D 5 0 % O F
T H E I R H I G H E S T B A S E P A Y .
Early retirement
M U S I C I A N S H A V E T O C O M P L E T E B A S I C T R A I N I N G ,
W H I C H T A K E S B E T W E E N 6 - 1 3 W E E K S .
Basic training.
J O I N I N G T H E M I L I T A R Y R E Q U I R E S O N E T O F O R F E I T
F R E E D O M S T H A T A R E A V A I L A B L E T O C I V I L I A N S . T H E
U N I F O R M C O D E O F M I L I T A R Y J U S T I C E I S M A D E U P O F
A D I F F E R E N T S E T O F L A W S T H A T Y O U H A V E T O
A D H E R E T O A F T E R S I G N I N G Y O U R C O N T R A C T . Y O U
M U S T L O O K T H E P A R T O F A M E M B E R O F T H E A R M E D
F O R C E S W H I C H M E A N S Y O U H A V E T O K E E P Y O U R
H A I R S H O R T , F A C E S H A V E D , A N D B O O T S S H I N E D .
Y O U R H O U S E M U S T B E K E P T I N O R D E R , A N D D O N ’ T
E V E N T H I N K A B O U T D O I N G D R U G S .
Restricted freedom.
M A N Y A S P E C T S O F L I F E A R E D I C T A T E D B Y E X T E R N A L
S O U R C E S , W H I C H C A N B E F R U S T R A T I N G F O R
C R E A T I V E A R T I S T S .
Rigidity.
A F T E R S I G N I N G O N , M I L I T A R Y P E R S O N N E L H A V E T O
H O N O R T H E I R L E G A L L Y B I N D I N G C O N T R A C T F O R A
T H E P E R I O D O F T I M E .
No way out.
K E E P I N G Y O U R S E L F I N G O O D P H Y S I C A L S H A P E I S A
J O B R E Q U I R E M E N T .
Physical requirements.
K E E P I N G Y O U R S E L F I N G O O D P H Y S I C A L S H A P E I S A
J O B R E Q U I R E M E N T .
Keeping yourself in good physical shape is a job
requirement.
T H E M I L I T A R Y I S A C O M P L I C A T E D I N S T I T U T I O N W I T H
L O T S P R O T O C O L A N D R E D T A P E .
Bureaucracy.
S O M E M U S I C I A N S M U S T B E D E P L O Y E D T O W A R
Z O N E S , T H O U G H F O R S H O R T E R P E R I O D S T H A N
O T H E R P A R T S O F T H E A R M E D F O R C E S .
Deployments.
E V E R Y O N E H A S R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S O U T S I D E O F
T H E I R P R I M A R Y M U S I C A L D U T I E S . E X A M P L E S M A Y
I N C L U D E W E B D E S I G N , B O O K I N G G I G S , M A K I N G
P O S T E R S , A N D A C C O U N T I N G .
Collateral responsibilities.
T H E M I L I T A R Y I S A B O U T F O L L O W I N G O R D E R S A N D
C O N F O R M I T Y , N O T I N N O V A T I O N . C O N T R A C T S
M E N T I O N N O T H I N G A B O U T P E R S O N A L F U L F I L L M E N T ,
J U S T C O M P L E T I N G A S S I G N E D R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S .
E N S E M B L E S O F T E N U S E T H E S A M E M A T E R I A L Y E A R
A F T E R Y E A R , A N D T H E R E I S L I T T L E T O L E R A N C E F O R
C R E A T I V E I N D I V I D U A L S . P O S S I B L E R E M E D I E S
I N C L U D E C H A M B E R E N S E M B L E A S S I G N M E N T S A N D
P E R S O N A L P U R S U I T S D U R I N G O F F D U T Y H O U R S .
Lack of creative outlets.