Klarinet Archive - Posting 000135.txt from 2003/11

From: "Patricia A. Smith" <arlyss1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Clarinet vacancy in U.S. Marine Band
Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2003 15:11:52 -0500

Kevin Callahan wrote:

>Wouldn't you kind of have to be a Marine?
>
>On that note, as an instrument playing Midshipman in the USNR, I just want to say how stupid it is that there are no officer bands. Grr.
>

Dear Kevin,

I retired after fourteen years as a Navy musician. WE ALL would have
liked to have been officers, considering most of us 1) were
college/university graduates with hard-earned degrees IN MUSIC; and 2)
enlisted, whose promotions came slowly if at all, and whose only chance
at becoming an office was through the LDO program. None of our officers
came in off the street. ALL U.S. Navy music program officers are former
enlisted LDO's. (Limited Duty Officers, for you landlubbers). The
trade-off: Most didn't ever play at all. What a downer.

Concerning the President's Own (U.S. Marine Band) - AFAIK, they do not
go to Marine Corps boot camp. That may, however, have changed in recent
years.

Patricia Smith

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