Klarinet Archive - Posting 000002.txt from 1994/11
From: "Dan Leeson: LEESON@-----.EDU> Subj: Service Bands (Chris Castillo's question) Date: Tue, 1 Nov 1994 08:33:52 -0500
Chris asks about the Navy band, but his question could be interpreted as
asking about all the service bands. The main bands (Navy, Army, Marine,
Air Force, and Coast Guard bands) are musical organizations of high
standards. But entry into them is available to any player who can qualify
on the basis of ability. There is no discrimination on the basis of sex
or race. There is discrimination on the basis of physical ability; i.e., they
will not take a morbidly obese person, for example. There may be
discrimination on the basis of age, but I am not able to be more
specific than this.
The pay is good, but the employee benefits are superior: full medical
care, retirement after 20 or 30 years, travel, opportunity for study,
etc. Entry into the group brings automatic sargency and the pay
rate equivalent to being a sargeant.
Many, many young conservatory graduates are considering the 5 major
service bands as groups of equivalent quality to any of the major
symphonies in the U.S., though there has always been a tendency to
poo-poo the music of bands when contrasted with that of the symphony.
I am not saying that I agree with that view, only that it exists.
Personally, I find Sousa marches as good as anything every written.
In addition to the major service bands, there are the field bands
and many people are considering these as careers, at least during
the early years. But it is worth looking into.
Oh!! I forgot the West Point band and probably others.
But the person who attempts to audition for these organizations
has to be a first-class player. He or she will not make it if not.
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Dan Leeson, Los Altos, California
(leeson@-----.edu)
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