Klarinet Archive - Posting 000768.txt from 2002/06

From: Tom.Henson@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] How Military Bands Work
Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 12:40:09 -0400

I thought I would also comment on my personal experience, although it dates
back to 73-76.

I had to go through basic training like everyone else. I did this at Fort
Polk in Louisiana.
It was not fun, but if you learned to play the drill seargent's game you had
no problems. You obviuosly had to have very good physical health as your
physical conditioning at the end was outstanding.

After I graduated from basic, I went to the Army School of Music in Little
Creek, Virginia. This was on a Navy base and was a combined school for Army,
Navy, and Marines.

Let me tell you it was a challenge musically, not physically. At that time
it was one of the longest school's in the military, six months.

You attended classes on a university level with ALL emphasis on music and
theory. It was demanding and I saw a few people flunk out. A friend of mine
that I went through basic with couldn't cut it and was transferred out.

The comander of the band I was assigned to in Germany called up our school
commander and requested that all of us going to his band be accelerated out
as he needed us.

There were four of us there, so we were like a little family.

The commander agreed to let us out early, but only if we all took the final
examine and made a 92 or higher. Passing was 80. I missed it by one point
due to the theory since I was fresh out of high school and had never studied
it before. All three tutored me and the commander allowed me to take every
singled examine given which was ten. I had to make better than a 92, and was
only allowed to take one test a day.

I managed to pass all the tests and then we all had to give a recital before
a board of teachers before we were let go.

We made it out just in time for a 2 week leave for Christmas.

The level of proficiency of all musicians graduating would have approached
that of having a BA from a university, at least at that time.

All of us by the way had a piece of paper from the Army that guaranteed our
assignment to that band and no one could transfer us anywhere else.

Tom Henson

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