Klarinet Archive - Posting 000090.txt from 2005/09
From: X-MailScanner-tom.henson@-----.com
Subj: RE: [kl] RE: Coast Guard Band
Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2005 12:31:15 -0400
Hi Bryan,
I can probably answer some of your questions having served in a military
band.
First, the Coast Guard Band in question would be the equivalent of
playing in one of the DC bands in Washington. These are the very top
bands and their audition standards are really quite high. You would have
to be a very accomplished amateur to even get in, or someone who had
recently graduated from a university with a music degree. Because these
are the top bands, they are more the exception to the rule than anything
else and enjoy a higher rank when you get in than any of the other
military bands that exists. I am not completely sure, but they may not
be required to even attend basic training which is required for all
other military bands.
They enjoy many privileges and perform at many prestigious events,
including playing for visiting dignitaries and Presidents. They also
tend to be the representative of their military branch and thus get many
of the best jobs and tours. They also have a much larger budget and if
necessary will provide you multiple instruments for you to play on. Say
one for indoors and outdoors. Yes, they also have to play many military
type parades and ceremonies. After all, their first purpose is to
support the military and then the civilians.
It is my opinion that one could easily make a good career playing in any
of the military bands, and given the improved pay and benefits you would
do quite well when compared with most professional positions now
available, with the possible exception being the very largest orchestras
around the world.
I was privileged to play in the top Army band in Europe and was
stationed in Heidelberg, Germany for about 2 1/2 years. I had to go
through basic infantry training when I first enlisted and then attend
the Army School of Music in Little Creek, Virginia at a Naval base. The
training was every bit as hard as what you would get in college, only
more compressed. Music theory was taught as well as performance skills.
They crammed 2 years of theory into about a 6 month school. In order to
graduate, you had to pass all of the theory test as well as do recitals
and solos in front of a judging panel. Every bit as demanding as trying
to get a music degree, but without all the other academics that would be
required in a college. Many people flunked out of this school because
they had no idea it would be this hard and they had just got out of high
school like myself.
Once you graduate, you are then shipped off to your line unit. Again,
for me, I went to Heidelberg, Germany where I spent the entire rest of
my Army tour with the same band and at that location. Being the top Army
band in Europe, we got first crack at all the jobs that came along. Yes,
we still had to do all the boring military pass and review ceremonies
for all the visiting dignitaries and military brass. We had to maintain
a strict and very high dress code due to this (even had special Army
Dress Blues uniforms with lots of gold braiding and all), but it also
had many perks. We played many beer tents and did many concerts around
Europe for civilians as a good will representative of the US. We toured
England, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, and many other countries
for weeks at a time.=20
We would tour for sometimes 3 weeks at a time and let me tell you this
is hard. You live out of a very small suitcase, stay wherever they put
you up (sometimes in other countries military bases), and play sometimes
3 times a day including marching parades. I remember the worst place we
stayed at was in France at a French Army base. Horrible conditions and
we had to take cold showers in the winter with no heat. Ugh! Try shaving
with 40 degree tap water.
We also had a lot of fun and soon learned that after you had meet all
the requirements that you had to do military wise, you still had a lot
of free time, played the heck out of your instrument, and met some very
incredible people from other cultures and countries. You never were
bored. I would not trade my experience for anything in the world. I have
friends that I served with that put in 30 years doing this and are now
retired at 50. They have a full pension, full health benefits, and now a
second career on top of that. How the heck can you beat that.
Tom Henson
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