 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Marie
Date: 2000-01-16 05:28
I am considering auditioning for an air force band on Bb and perhaps Eb clarinet. I'm interested in the opportunity to play and travel. I'm hoping players may have some advice and suggestions regarding the program in general.
Specifically, some of my questions include the following: Do players find it difficult to make financial ends meet from the salary? Do many players continue their education while in the band and do they realistically have the time to do both well? Is there any difficulty adjusting to the "enlisted mentality"? Do they make you do lots of push-ups in basic training? :^) Do the clarinets typically get blasted out from the brass in the main band? Are auditions very competitive? What are difficulties/problems you've encountered? Overall, did you find it a positive experience or not? Do I need to love brassy band music?
Thanks in advance for your comments.
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Author: Jim
Date: 2000-01-16 09:19
Marie: A friend auditioned for the Washington band and several post bands and found out quickly that your weight is a strong factor in your acceptance. Be the greatest on your instrument, but if you are overweight, Zap! Scales, etudes, solos, orchestral excerpts (why?), and sightreading.
Also, my friend had to play 1st part in the brass quintet and sightread that material, and play with a jazz combo. If you are not too up on pop and jazz style, do some listening and get some help. Have you heard any AF band lately? Many musicians say the Marine Band is best, but the AF bands play a more popular program. Good luck and go for it!!!!! Jim
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Author: J. Butler
Date: 2000-01-16 12:55
I don't know about the basic training although I do know that if accepted you will go to the music training school near D.C. for a six month tenure. There is a combined armed services music training school.
I worked with a gentlemen who retired from the NORAD band. He did his "twenty" and retired. Got a job teaching at a public school and now is drawing both his retirement and a paycheck. He also earned his doctorate in clarinet performance while he was in, so I guess that answers one of your questions. However everything changes with time and you'll need to get these answers from your recruiter or other sources before you enlist.
J. Butler
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Author: Mark P.
Date: 2000-01-16 13:45
My Niece and her husband went into the AF band at Langley (Virginia) four years ago. Over all it's been a very positive experience and has helped them make contacts and get alot of performance experience.
They said basic wasn't too bad other than being in Texas near San Antonio (hot and dusty). Expect the usual assortment of conditioning, qualifying with the M16 rifle and .38 revolver, and other soldiering skills. The TIs (training instructors) were tough but are no longer allowed to use profanity to recruits. My niece said the worst thing she was called was "wussie", that after surreptiously trying to dump her 3rd glass of water under table because she was stuffed at lunch. She recommended joining a fitness club 6 months before going in to get preped for the PT.
Since they were musicians they had to play in the flight's drum and bugle corp. My niece is a vocalist and they had her playing cymbals. Her husband, a trombonist, had to play bugle.
While serving, they have been able to meet many internationaly known musicians who have been invited to play with the band and the AF paid for them to get coaching lessons with top notch professionals in DC and NYC. They've had to learn all sorts of different musical styles and play in different types of ensembles.
Now that they're getting out, they have educational benefits as vets which they will use to pursue masters degrees.
As a side note, I went to a US Navy Band(Washington) concert on Friday night. The music was anything but standard band music. It was the highest caliber wind symphony program and performance you will hear anywhere including the Tomasi Saxophone Concerto with Claude Delangle (sp?) of the Paris conservatory soloist.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-01-16 15:40
One thing to keep in mind -
In almost all cases you're considered soldiers first, musicians second. Don't ever sign up before winning the audition (lest you end up playing in some god-forsaken place). Recruiters may tell you "don't worry, there's plenty of good bands in the service and you're bound to get into one of them" - and that's exactly right, but there's no guarantee, implicit or explicit, in that statement!
I enjoyed my 8 years in military service (non-music realted), but some musicians who spent 3 or 4 years in the military have complained bitterly because they didn't know exactly what they were getting into.
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-01-16 23:08
The military bands such as in Washington are usualy civilians with an "honorary" rank and pay grade. since they are in uniform, being slim and trim is a must. Most of the Post or unit bands are regular soldier and sailors and go the the whole training program as a regular. In the larger services like Army and Air Force, you can be transfered from one unit to another based on your instrument and spend your whole career as a musician with some exellent training available. Smaller Posts may have a band, but you may work as say an electronics specialist but play in the band as needed, if they have one. Small units like most ALL of the Coast Guard, don't have bands and are content to using a 1943 issue Zenith phonograph hooked to a PA system equiped with old metal speakers as seen on M.A.S.H.
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-01-16 23:14
I might add that if you can qualify for one of the larger Military bands like the Air Force, go for it. I've heard that those musicians are more satisfied with their jobs than many symphony musicians. Probably from the variety of music they play and the training made available to them.
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Author: Gary Van Cott
Date: 2000-01-17 03:26
Willie's first post does not reflect the reality of the Air Force bands today. There are very few of them and they are all top notch. THE Air Force Band is filled with people with MAs & DMAs in performance. The other bands aren't far behind. I would suggest contacting one of the bands directly I you haven't already since they appear to do their own recruiting and auditions.
The Coast Guard does have its own band in New London CT and I have heard that its members don't even have to go through basic training.
Gary Van Cott
Maj, USAF Ret.
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-01-17 04:15
True, they are all top notch, but they are hired through ads in International Musician and posts in college news prints. Most recruiters I've talked to had no idea of how to get into one of these bands. Unit bands are usualy every day solders and sailors who happen to play an instrument. Some of these are quite good also, but when duty calls, your on the front line either toting an M-16 or driving a tank. My Dad, Uncle and Grandfather were all in unit bands during their Air Force service,but that wasn't their main job. In my 20+ years in the Cost Guard, the only bands I ever saw were at the two bootcamps (Alemeda,Ca and Cape May, N.J.), Washington D.C., and at the academy in Connecticut. As for the Air Force "Big Bands", I'm a big fan. I have about 20 pounds of vinyl recordings by them and more CDs than I can count.
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