Navy Fleet Bands has several tuba openings again

[JustinLerma]

I think this post is drifting off from its original intent so I'm going to try and help get it back....I probably won't

Billy's post was intended to inform and hopefully get some tuba friends to come and audition for a position in the Navy.

If you are concerned about the level of musican in the bands I assure you it is very high. I myself was regularly performing with the San Diego Symphony and Opera while station in San Diego. I have performed on many occassions with San Antonio Symphony, the Teatro Di San Carlo, and I have been a finalist for severeal overseas jobs. Aside from myself there are TONS musicians with DMA's, Master's, a former principal tuba and horn of the Youtube symphony, a former Romanian opera orchestra member, a band officer was formerly with the band Phish, several trombonists have had succesful careers outside of the Navy, and the list goes on.

These wonderful musicians are not just here, they can be found in Army bands, Marine bands, and Air Forces bands. I do not think that Billy meant to offend anyone, and I hope that this clears some of the band vibes from this thread. I truly believe that all our branches have stellar musicans and you just have to find the right fit for you when looking.

A typical day for most musicians in the service who are not deployed consists of BQ/WQ/combo/small group rehearsals, Wind Ensembles, tons of ceremonial gigs, retirements, arranging, and collateral duties. It's all pretty similar across the board. When a unit of this band deploys we do not have a secondary job, we only perform. I know it is a bit different if you are a Marine or Soldier and because of that I will not try to explain exactly what they do.

Joining the service has many perks and serving your country truly is an awesome thing. Musicians are the face of the military and you will enjoy your time in any of groups should you decide to join. PLEASE do some research before auditioning. Know what really happenes if you join, know what possible duty stations you may end up in, understand that you ARE in the military, and then choose the best fit.

If you would like to talk about the job directly, hit me up on Facebook. Justin Lerma, I live in Naples, I'm the only one.

Justin
Justin

[euphoniumist]

One of the big things to remember is no matter what service you are in you are still in the military and the federal governments property and for some people that aspect of the job isn't that big of a deal and they do well while in. I've noticed that when researching and talking to people about it you can get caught up with the band part which is of course a big aspect of the job and forget that it is a MILITARY musical organization and not a civilian group. As with all the others folks that commented if anyone has questions send me a message I'm Navy for a few more months and can give my experiences. The good, the bad, and the fun.

[burningchrome]

What's the story with the "Job Opportunities" page saying "Currently the Navy Music Program is under manning constraints..." ?
I remember this message has been there for a bit. Is there a disconnect between actual needs and the website?

http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/s ... ault2.aspx" target="_blank

Rob

[bigjon3838]

I can only speak from my experience but I auditioned in November and they told me I would be on a waiting list for a year but then got a call a week after my audition saying that I could go through meps and go straight to basic training and I just finished up with basic 3 weeks ago and am now at the school of music in little creek. There are only 5 of us Navy basic course students but 2 of us are tuba players so I think that message is for certain instruments so tuba may obviously be one of those instruments that is needed more in the fleet.

[Jeff Keller]

As of today, there is one tuba position that is open. I don't know that it will be filled due to budgeting. Don't hold me to that as it could change at any moment.

Jeff

[Davy]

As of today, there is one tuba position that is open. I don't know that it will be filled due to budgeting. Don't hold me to that as it could change at any moment.

Jeff

Yikes! Hope it dosen't get filled before my audition this week!

[bcollins]

Right now there are waiting lists to get in for certain instruments. The Navy is tweaking the manning for different bands which could result in a wait for some instruments. It is always best to just audition anyway. Also, if you score high enough on your audition, there is a strong chance that you might get in waiting list or not.