Musicians

Background

Music is an important part of military life. Service bands and vocal groups have a strong tradition of performing at ceremonies, parades, concerts, festivals, and dances. Musicians and singers perform many types of music, including marches, classics, jazz, and popular music. Musicians perform in service bands, orchestras, and small groups. 

What They Do

Musicians in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

• Perform for ceremonies, parades, concerts, festivals, and dances
• Play brass, percussion, woodwind, or string instruments
• Play in or lead bands, orchestras, combos, and jazz groups
• Rehearse and learn new music when not performing
• Sing in choral groups or as soloists

Physical Demands

No information available.

Special Requirements

To qualify for a service band, applicants must pass one or more auditions. They must be fairly accomplished musicians and be able to sight-read musical notations.

Helpful Attributes

Helpful attributes include:

• Ability to play more than one instrument
• Ability to sing
• Poise when performing in public

Helpful School Subjects

Helpful school subjects include:

• Band
• Harmony
• Music theory

Helpful Fields of Study

No information available.

Work Environment

Musicians play indoors in theaters, concert halls, and at dances; outdoors at parades and open-air concerts. They also travel regularly.

Services offering this career:

• Air Force
• Army
• Coast Guard
• Marine Corps
• Navy

Hiring Practices

To serve in the military, a person must be at least 17; the maximum age for enlistment varies. To enlist, a person must pass a physical exam and an aptitude test. An enlistee must also meet military standards of discipline and be a US citizen or permanent resident alien.

This position is for enlisted personnel.

Wages

The military is competitive with the civilian world when it comes to pay and benefits. All branches offer the same basic pay and benefits.

Pay depends mainly on rank or grade as well as length of service. Bonuses and the situation in which the person is serving (for example: flight duty, sea duty, hazardous duty) also affect pay. 

Cost-of-living increases usually occur every year, based on inflation. The military also pays allowances for food, clothing, and housing. All these factors combined are called Regular Military Compensation (RMC). They should all be considered when comparing military pay to civilian pay.

There are two main parts to RMC: basic pay and allowances. There are also additional incentives for special abilities, training, or hazardous duty.

Check out the RMC Calculator to calculate your RMC based on your inputs.

Training Provided

Although musicians must be musically proficient to enter the service, music training is given to new band members. Job training consists of 11 to 24 weeks of classroom instruction, including practice playing instruments. Training length varies depending on musical specialty.

Course content typically includes:

• Dance band techniques
• Group instrumental techniques
• Music theory
• Sight-reading musical scores

Further training occurs on the job through regular rehearsals and individual practice.

Civilian Counterparts

Civilian musicians work for many types of employers, including professional orchestras, bands, and choral groups. They work in nightclubs, concert halls, theaters, and recording studios.

Related Civilian Careers

• Musicians
• Singers

Employment and Outlook

In peace time the services have about 4,000 musicians. In times of military action the number may be different, depending on the type of specialties required. Each year the services need new musicians due to changes in personnel and the demands of the field. After job training, musicians are assigned to band units located with U.S. forces around the world. They perform as members of bands and vocal groups. In time, they may become heads of their instrument sections and, possibly, bandleaders or orchestra conductors. The most outstanding performers are selected for the official service bands or orchestras of their service.