If qualified you will audition and play for one of 12 historic bands.
Audition requirements:
-all major and minor scales from memory
-a chromatic scale throughout the practical range of the instrument
-a grade level IV or higher solo written specifically for the auditioning instrument
-sight reading of varied styles of music
Benefits include:
-Full time pay for full time musicians
-Full medical, dental and vision
-30 days paid vacation per year
-Tuition Assistance for furthering your education
-Steady promotions
-You will be sent to a music school and instrument repair school
-Travel and perform in prestigious events and concert halls
-And much more.
Due to the very limited seats available there will be highly selective screening concerning the following areas:
-Education
-Police Involvement
-Mental and physical aptitude.
Please respond via email with the following information
Full Name
Address
Age
Sex
Contact phone number
Instrument
Experience
A short description of your musical ambitions (Please no more than 250 words)
Seems odd that it doesn't list the employer though, especially if it's the military. Every time I've seen the Armed Forces doing recruitment for anything, they're pretty obvious about who they're representing. Just seems incongruous.
Although the wording is definitely not the polished effort I'm used to seeing from a military ad, much of this does fit in with the requirements, and benefits of military band positions. Especially this info: Benefits include:
-Full time pay for full time musicians
-Full medical, dental and vision
-30 days paid vacation per year
-Tuition Assistance
However, I was thrown by two things... The "historical" aspect, which could obviously be true of any military band, but I've never seen in print like that. The second is the age requirement. I know the Army upped their maximum age to 42, and thought the other services were hanging in at 35. Less than a minute of online research led me to the fact that the US Marine Corps does indeed have a cutoff at age 29.
There are 12 active duty Marine Corps field bands (Run separately from the President's Own in DC, and the Drum and Bugle Corp), so all evidence points to the USMC. I found it slightly unusual, especially as an organization that is so proud of its heritage, for them not to be up front about who they are, but they must think this approach might bring interest from candidates who would otherwise not apply.
