Playing For Disney Events

[oldbandnerd]

Here in Va. we have Buch Gardens - Williamsburg . I would assume it's the same there as it is for B/G . Get in touch with personnel office . You have to put in an application and sign up for an audition . Most of the people that audition and get hired are college kids . Last year there was a street Boogie Woogie band that had a kid playing tuba all the way from Arizona State .

[oldbandnerd]

Sorry , I should have been more clear . NO , it does not have to be a college . I was just making the point that it is mostly colleger students that audition so it is mostly college students that get the jobs .

[oldbandnerd]

Try This link : http://jobsearch.about.com/gi/dynamic/o ... tions.html

[quinterbourne]

From the Walt Disney Website:

Professional Musicians -- Approximately 100 musicians can be heard in the Theme Parks and Resort areas at WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort. A variety of musical styles are performed at both indoor and outdoor stages. Show bands, marching bands, drum and bugle corps, percussionists, ragtime pianists, harpists, steel drum, and mariachi bands are just some of the different musical styles and instrumentation provided by professional musicians.

Student Musicians -- Walt Disney World Resort and DISNEYLAND® Resort provide summer educational programs for student musicians through the Disney Collegiate All-Star Band.

AND...

Musicians interested in an audition must be at least age 18. Student musicians must have completed freshman year by summer. Please prepare three, one-minute selections of a technical, lyrical, and improvisational nature.

Students attend two-hour career workshops with top performing artists five days a week. Students receive a weekly stipend with shared, furnished housing and local transportation to and from the work site. Auditions are held December through February from coast to coast

[king2ba]

play at a high proffesional level. I'm not saying that they arent't a proffesional level,

Please learn to spell the word "professional".

[Chuck Jackson]

Uhm, Chris, my niece can play Chopin and Mozart and she is only 7, so what is your point. Age is not a critical issue, but the last I looked Walt Disney World and it's various ventures is a private company. THEY CAN MAKE THEIR OWN RULES. Start researching child labor laws and then look at some of the hours you would be working. I daresay that Disney is covering their collective asses by hiring only those people who are of LEGAL AGE. All that being said, bide your time.

Chuck Jackson
Walt Disney World All-American College Band 1982

[quinterbourne]

Crap........It sucks how you HAVE to be 18 and in college. I know they want the best players as does ALL other music groups, but I know players younger then a vast majority of college students who can play at a high proffesional level. I'm not saying that they arent't a proffesional level, but they should at least allow high school students to be able to audition. Another thing, they mention allowing drum corps into the events, drum corps allow high school students to participate. What's going to happen to those players in thedrum corps who aren't 18? Age dosnt determine playing abilities........

-tubachris
(Who's seen AND heard a 9 year old girl play Maple Leaf Rag on piano.)

The age requirement of 18 is, and I'm almost 100% certain of this, chosen from a legal/liability viewpoint (as Chuck was saying). I'm sure musical ability wasn't the reason for choosing this age requirement.

You don't have to be a student to work for Disney. You need to be a student (and completed freshman year by summer) if you plan on being a student musician. You do not have to be in college to be a professional musician, but you still need to be 18+.

[TubaRay]

I don't know about the legal ramifications of hiring people younger than 18 years of age, however I can think of another important different between working for Disney and playing in a drum corps. The drum corps are prepared to be baby-sitters. Disney probably doesn't have the time or inclination for this. I realize that there are many students younger than eighteen who are mature enough to take care of themselves. And, I am sure many of those older than eighteen are not so mature. However, when trying to predict the probability, a those eighteen and older are more likely to be able to handle it.

As others have already stated, since Disney is a privately-owned company, they certainly have the right to make their own rules in this area. At least, that is my belief.

My advice to TubaChris is to try to be patient, work to further develop his talent, and audition as soon as he is eligible.

[king2ba]

when going through some of the events that Disney does, they say that they hire drum corps for performances. Now if they say they dont hire anyone unless they are of technical legal age, then why can they hire drum corps?

I am so glad I don't teach high school!

Chris,

Let's just go with your theory here. (I know for a fact that your theory is incorrect, but let's just go with it) If Disney hired you, they would be hiring someone under the age of 18. If Disney hired an entire drum and bugle corp they would be hiring the ORGANIZATION....not the individuals. It's called subcontracting. While you are correct that companies can hire minors with parental permission, why would an organization want to hire a high school performer that can't do things without mommy and daddy's signature when they could hire a freshman in college that will do whatever the company tells them to do. The same holds true for subcontracting. Why organize 50 individuals, when you can hire one guy to do everything for you!

Now, the big part of this that you are leaving out is that many groups actually PAY Disney for the privilege to play in one of the parks. While playing in the park is free, Disney won't let you do it unless you've also booked a 3 or 4 day trip!