[Dixielandjazz] Playing in a Military Band

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

Steve said:
 Military Bands are probably one of
> the best paid musician gigs you can get these days and lots of big band 
> work
> in the jazz/swing idiom. Our late listmate Jim Beebe paid some of his dues
> in a Marine Band 50 years ago.
>
> Great way to pay your dues, retire before you hit 50 and work on the 
> outside
> after that.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone

Yes ts a great gig..  Each branch of the military has a different slant on 
what they want and expect out of bands.  The Army has the most diverse. 
>From only expecting a band to be able to play honors and a few marches to 
one of the best bands in the country.  The Army  expects the band member to 
be a rifleman first and a musician second.  The primary duty is to be of use 
to the Army in a combat role.  On the positive side there are a lot more 
Army bands than Air Force Bands.  I think there are 11 full time AF bands 
and 11 ANG bands Stateside although that may have changed with some of the 
cutbacks.  Some of the  AF bands stationed in Europe have been cut but so 
has our military presence there..

The Air Force has different goals for it's musicians.  An Air force 
musician's only purpose is to play music.  Having said that the musician is 
also expected to have a secondary job within the band such as supply, 
clerical, repair or some other related job.  The musician as of 6 years ago 
didn't have to qualify on a rifle but did have to train for Gas, Germs etc. 
but that changes with the weather.  AF Band members get a chance to haul 
equipment and load trucks too but the top band in DC has guys attached that 
do that kind of stuff for them like setting up.  Their job is more like a 
Symphony players but there are a lot of bandsmen who never play in the DC 
bands.

Lucrative outside jobs are not always there.  The military musician is often 
on tour and quite often is assigned temporary duty some where else or is 
called upon to play last minute gigs on base.  Bookers and bands aren't too 
fond of that.  One guy I know plays tuba and he teaches nights at a local 
college and plays as often as possible.  He seems to be doing quite well but 
he works very hard.

The past 50 years was a different ball game.  My old outfit is being posted 
to Iraq this summer.

I think it's not accurate to portray the military musician's job as a soft 
gig.  It can be but it is the military and it's not the same as a civilian 
job.  Does the military turn out some fine players?   You bet it does and I 
think it's a good thing for a young musician who want's to make music his 
profession.

The benefits are wonderful for active and retired military.  I have full 
medical,  100% free medications and can travel Space available and stay on 
bases or military accomodations throughout the world as well as BX and 
commisary priveleges.  When my wife and I finally get around to visiting 
Hawaii the Halecoa (Luxury hotel on the beach ) charges about $28 a night 
for my rank.  A couple of summers ago I rented a 20 foot skiboat at Lake of 
the Qzarks for $14 a day.  I think of all that as payback for the sucky 
things I had to do while I was in.  Missouri also has a veteran's, home 
should I require it, that beats any nursing home in this area.   It has it's 
great aspects

One young lady (clarinet player) told me one day that if she ever had to do 
anything like that she would just get pregnant.  I offered to help her out 
should the need arise.

Needless to say I recommend military bands highly.
Larry Walton
St. Louis



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