Military Auditions

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swillafew
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Military Auditions

Post by swillafew »

My former student (high school) is very interested in getting into military music, and has enlisted on a delayed program. He figures to audition some time in the future. I would not have guessed that the USMC was doing business that way. Does anyone here have experience with the process?
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by Ace »

In 1956, I lived in southern California and gave consideration to enlisting in a military band. The Sixth Army Band at the Presidio of San Francisco was arguably the best military band on the west coast so I made an appointment with the band's commanding officer, flew up for an audition conducted by that officer, and was offered a written guarantee for assignment to the band upon successful completion of basic combat training. The CO wanted me to go immediately to an Army recruiters office and sign the enlistment papers. I said I wanted to think about it for a few weeks, and he put a 30 day expiration date on the cover letter. I let it expire. In 1959, I got a draft notice signed by Dwight Eisenhower. At that time I was married and had a job teaching in a local public school district. The school superintendent appealed but was denied by the hard *** draft board. I entered service on July 20, 1959 and was sent from Los Angeles to Fort Ord near Monterey CA for BCT. There were two bands at Ft. Ord---the 52nd and 28th Army Bands. Upon completion of basic combat training I was scheduled to be assigned to an advanced infantry battalion. Previously however, in off hours, I had been going to the bands area and playing in informal ensemble groups; so the 28th Army Band called upon Classification and Assignment (C&A) to change my orders and I was sent to the 28th with an MOS of trumpet player. In February 1960, I was ordered to Ft. Lewis WA near Tacoma where I completed my two years' draftee service as a trumpet player in the 21st Army Band after quietly engineering with C&A to change my original orders that would have assigned me to the other band on post, the Fourth Infantry Division Band. The Fourth was a dirt-and-grime, crawl-in-the mud band expected to support the Division troops when out in the field in combat training. I missed all that by arranging my transfer to the smaller post band (the 21st). Moral of these stories: Be aggressive in finding friends in bands who can arrange an alteration of orders with C&A.

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Marine Band Re: Military Auditions

Post by tokuno »

My son enlisted at 17, straight out of high school. He graduated the Naval School of Music this July and deployed to the fleet at Camp LeJeune, NC (Division's Own) as a Marine clarinetist in August.
His process was as Wade describes. He initiated the relationship at the recruiting office, but did not sign a commit until after he'd:
1) uploaded a youtube audition
2) passed a live audition (the Marines flew the auditor in from San Diego)

Of course, he also had to pass a physical and take the asvab (scored well over a hundred - no brainer, apparently) somewhere in the process, but he did not commit until he already had a musician's MOS in contract (contingent upon graduating boot, finishing MCT, and graduating the music school, of course - he had some musician peers who flunked and/or quit out of the music program and took a different MOS).

The recruiter was open and, as circumstances proved, honest and ingenuous throughout the process, and my son was direct and open about his intentions.

Btw, my son is ~thrilled~ with his experience so far, even including boot camp (he's an Eagle Scout and had no issues with the physical demands or the emotional/mental duress - his goal was to finish boot with no one knowing he's a "soft" musician).
He'd originally considering pursuing the ROTC program into the Navy in the area of nuclear engineering, but really wanted to scratch the musician's itch, and has zero reservations so far. In his short time, he's already spent a week in Colorado performing at the Scottish Games, several days up in DC learning from the clarinetists of the President's Own, and expects to perform in France next year for the events around the Belleau Wood centennial. He also had two weeks of machine gun training that was apparently a hoot. He says it's not for everyone, but he's all in.
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Re: Marine Band Re: Military Auditions

Post by Three Valves »

tokuno wrote:He also had two weeks of machine gun training...
That's what I call "making music!!"
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by johnhadden »

Some of the "fleet bands" (non-premiere bands) are still doing audition by appointment, but if anyone has seen the recent Navy situation, they have 4 openings and are actually doing a centralized audition at a location on a specific date and time. It's not for a premier gig (although there's one of those open too, right now) but it's sort of set up the same way.

However, other branches still do the "by appointment" model for their fleet bands. In general, the idea is that you audition and get qualified to go into the branch for music so that they can send you to music school when you're done with basic. I would not just enter with the hopes of being able to do music later. I would definitely recommend auditioning first. This is the way I've had to do it the 8 total times I've auditioned for premier and non-premier spots...almost got some of those too...darn it...
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swillafew
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by swillafew »

I would say that it is highly likely they will be carrying a rifle instead of a tuba.
:tuba:
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by Ace »

swillafew wrote:
I would say that it is highly likely they will be carrying a rifle instead of a tuba.
:tuba:
During my service as an Army bandsman, we all knew that we were soldiers in the armed forces. There was an ominous, heavily-locked room in our band barracks that contained racks of rifles, bayonets, gas masks, etc. I'm grateful we never were called upon to use them.

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Re: Military Auditions

Post by swillafew »

My dad's cousin served in Korea as a clarinetist. Part of his job was guarding a camp perimeter at night.
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by Leland »

swillafew wrote:My former student (high school) is very interested in getting into military music, and has enlisted on a delayed program. He figures to audition some time in the future. I would not have guessed that the USMC was doing business that way. Does anyone here have experience with the process?
He did it the wrong way to be guaranteed a music MOS.

That being said, we had a kid who was in an administrative MOS audition, and be accepted, as a drummer in the USMC D&B. He did a lateral move and performed with us until he EAS'd.

One of the guys who entered the same time I did was slated to be in tanks as he entered boot camp. A music recruiter (MTA) came by and spoke with his drill instructor, who then yelled to the platoon, "Any of you recruits have any band experience?" My friend raised his hand, "This recruit, sir!" "Get in here!" said the drill instructor. The MTA asked what he played, he said trumpet, the MTA asked if he'd like to go to 8th & I to march in the Commandant's Own, he said sure -- and they changed his MOS before he left boot camp.

There's a lot of roads through the military.
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by Radar »

Way back when I did it you auditioned before enlisting (even in the delayed entry program). Then it was on your contract what your MOS would be. Enlisting before the audition could definately backfire if you don't pass the audition, or if you get assigned a critical MOS they may not let you transfer to a band MOS later on. Sounds like they got a recruiter who didn't understand how the band process works.
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by brattom »

Your student really should talk to a band liaison. I'm assuming the Marines have something like that. Not to suggest that he was misled, but there have been instances where recruiters have had the wrong information. We had a horn player who recently retired who enlisted in the late '80s to join a USMC reserve band, only to find out when he finished boot camp that there is no such thing. He was eventually released from the reserves but it took a while.

I'd have him check this out ASAP and call the GySgt listed at the bottom. If he wanted to join first and audition later, it's sometimes more difficult to reclass to a new MOS than join doing what you want to do from the get go.

http://www.mcrc.marines.mil/1stmcd/Unit-Home/Music/" target="_blank

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Re: Military Auditions

Post by swillafew »

Update: saw the young wants-to-be-Marine today. He has some excerpts from band and orchestra to play this month. Audition is being done with Skype. According to auditionee, no scales and no sight reading.
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by Leland »

swillafew wrote:According to auditionee, no scales and no sight reading.
.....??? Really? I didn't even play any prepared stuff when I did my audition. A few scales, a couple technical exercises, and sightreading.

(but this was for USMC D&B, so they had me do scales on a contra bugle, too)
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by Michael Bush »

Radar wrote:Way back when I did it you auditioned before enlisting (even in the delayed entry program). Then it was on your contract what your MOS would be. Enlisting before the audition could definately backfire if you don't pass the audition, or if you get assigned a critical MOS they may not let you transfer to a band MOS later on. Sounds like they got a recruiter who didn't understand how the band process works.
I know a guy who spent four years (ending fairly recently) doing a human resources desk job in the Navy because for whatever reason (a recruiter?) he thought he could enlist and then get in a band. Nope.
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by goldenmoose »

The audition should've been done before signing any contract. This is most likely a case where the recruiter had no idea what they were doing. I am a Navy musician and have seen/heard this scenario countless times. Never believe a recruiter when they say the best way to be a military musician is to join now and transfer/crossrate later.
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by swillafew »

I have reconnected with the student. He told me his document was only a provisional one, and he hasn't actually enlisted (so far). I have heard tales just like some of the ones above regarding assignments.
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by swillafew »

Student passed the audition today, he was offered about one every 4-5 weeks. There must be some hard to fill slots, considering how many times he was offered a chance.
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Re: Military Auditions

Post by rodgeman »

Good job! I hope they enjoy it.
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