What do they do for the military? Do they fight? Do they get paid? Are they outsourced musicians or are they actually part of the military? Also, why?
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(US Army Clarinetist 2002-2006) Army musicians are like any other soldier’s job in the Army. There are “special” Army bands, but there also Division and Corps bands as well, (I was a member of the 1st Armored Division band from 2003-2005, for example). The mission on an Army bandsman is ceremonial (funerals, promotion ceremonies, patriotic holidays), and morale (rock bands, Christmas concerts, parades). While I was with 1AD we were deployed to Iraq for over a year, we did all the same things we would do above, as well as work guard duty, run convoys, and basically any other jobs that needed to be done. Soldier first, bandman second. I went to Basic Training and Advanced Training at the School of Music, before going to my first band. I had to qualify on my weapon, and do any other training that was required by the unit. This is is pretty much the same as any Army job.
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