Klarinet Archive - Posting 000136.txt from 2003/11

From: "Kevin Callahan" <kionon@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Clarinet vacancy in U.S. Marine Band
Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2003 17:22:24 -0500

----- Original Message -----
From: "Patricia A. Smith" <arlyss1@-----.net>
Subject: Re: [kl] Clarinet vacancy in U.S. Marine Band

> 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.

Yeah, so I've found out. It's possible to become an officer with the
program, but the ability to play is really limited. And in any case, I'll be
a ULO (Unrestricted Line Officer) and as such, even with my background in
music, a lateral transfer into the program is very , very unlikely. Besides,
my warfare specialty is aviation (going for NFO), and unless I hurt myself
and ended up as an LDO, I can't see that they'd ever let me move.

> 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.

I did not know that.

Kevin M. Callahan
MIDN 3/C USNR

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