Mllitary

trumpetplayer87 · Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2002 4:24 pm Post subject:

pfrank,
Thanks for taking the time to reply! I have to complement you for your articulation in the area of 'discussion', in which many people I know go crazy, and simply agree to disagree.

Anyhow, if you are well versed in Biblical theology you will understand that God requires me to do nothing that you mentioned (killing people, etc). One thing I do hold higher than my parents, and always will; The Bible(God's word). For example, if my parents/teachers told me my mission was to kill people (such as we are seeing with children overseas) I would be checking it out with the Bible, however the Bible states no such thing, in fact it says directly the opposite, love your enemy. If I was receiving direct comfirmation from God in some way that I was to go into the millitary, and my parents didn't want me to, I would be in the millitary regardless. But, one thing God is showing me right now, is that my parents are Godly people. They wouldn't ask me to do something God didn't want me to. And if they ever do, well God is looking out for me, I'm sure He would let me know in some way that what my parents are asking of me is against His will.

You see, it all depends on having a relationship with God, if I didn't have a relationship with God, I would be lost, I would be alone, and most likely confused. And you cannot state me wrong on this fact, for humans are in fact human, and humanity is full of imperfections(due to our sin nature), and something imperfect can never be fully complete, and true joy depends on being fully complete, and without imperfection. Through Jesus Christ, God's Son, who died for our sins + imperfections that we can be perfect in God's eyes, resulting in true Joy; we only have to ask for it, and accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, and let Him lead us.
I can count on God to lead me, and right now he is leading me to obey my parents, and I'm sure if they were not doing God's will, God would continue to lead me, as long as I stay close to Him, I will know what He wants me to do, whether it be go into the army, or become an artist, or whatever else He holds for me. I guess you could say that right now God is using my parents to show me what He wants for me, and as long as He tells me that is what He wants, that's what I'll be doing

I really appreciate that you all take the time to reply to these posts, I'm running short on time right now, I didn't mean to make the post so long, I hope it didn't scare you off from reading it, I have to admit opon finding a reeeally long post, sometimes I skip it. Anyhow...I will be praying for you all...and believe me... God can do ANYTHING!

Bonnie
_________________
"Yet to all who received Him, and believed in His name, He gave the right to become sons of God" John

Sounds: http://www.sitesled.com/members/bonniej
_________________________________

BWC · Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2002 10:55 am Post subject:

Bonnie,
I am currently in an Air National Guard band until I get my Bachleors degree. The great part of the national guard is that they will Pay 100% of your tuition plus about $230$-270 a month with the montgomery GI bill while you are in school. Thats not including what you get for working the Drills (weekends) and Annual trainings (2 weeks out of the summer). Personally getting a degree is very improtant especially if you plan on joining one of the premiere bands or a USAF band, because they hire their musicians fully qualified. Which means you go to your 6 weeks of basic and come home, where everyone else has to go to an advanced training course. There is an Air national Guard band in Boston their website is (http://www.567band.org/) I suggest you visit the site contact one of their members and ask if you can come down and play with them for a weekend. Generally they really love it when a student from the community does that sort of thing. Plus it benefits you by getting to play some tougher literature. It has been my observation that the military puts out some of the best bands avaliable. If you have any questions about guard or reserve in particular please feel free to ask.

AMN Bruce Clingan
555th AF Band
Swanton Ohio

BWC · Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2002 10:59 am Post subject:

Oh I forgot to say that our band and most of the Air force bands (I dont know about the other branches) are comprised of 20%-40% females. Currently the Lead trumpet player for the Army Blues band is Female. If you want to talk to someone about being a female in the Military band. I know of some one that you can e-mail she is a professor where i go to school who played with the Presidents Own for 9 years. And anothe perk to the National Guard is that we get to tour with the Active Duty bands when they need extra players. And it all pays.

Bruce

donalson · Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2002 12:28 pm Post subject:

for you military guys... do you typicaly use the horns issued or do you use your personal horns?

mark

trombapaul2 · Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2002 1:21 pm Post subject:

After reading all these great posts, especially the ones from John, I now believe more than ever I should have gone the military route and THEN school. If nothing else, I imagine your chops would certainly get the work-out of a lifetime. It's a shame the max enlistment age is 34 (I'm "a bit" past that!) otherwise I'd be auditioning for those spots
that are open.

Paul
_________________
"NEVER practice...ALWAYS perform" (Bud)

"NEVER look at the trombones...it only encourages them" (R. Strauss)

"What the hell does sound have to do with music?" (Charles Ives)

JGulyas · Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2002 1:53 pm Post subject:

Mark,

It depends on the horn and the gig at hand. If we're going to be doing a ceremony or parade I'll use the government horn (mine is a 43/72* Strad). There's no point in running the risk of damaging my personal horn for that type of gig. If it's a quintet or concert band gig I'll use my personal horns as they are much better than the Strads. They also have some outstanding little horns. My band here in Jax has a Schilke P5-4 picc, a Yamaha Custom 9830 picc, Schilke E3L Eb/D and Yamaha 6610 Eb/D and we just got in a Bach 180 C with 239 bell.

John
_________________
All the Best,

John

US Navy Bandsman 1996-2010 (Trumpet; Audio Engineer)
Mpc - Kanstul/Monette B6, Hammond Design custom "JG"
Bb - Yamaha 6335HGSII
C - Eastman ETR530
Picc - NoName Chinese

JGulyas · Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2002 1:56 pm Post subject:

Paul,

Our face certainly does get the work-out! Oddly enough it always gets harder just before we go on vactaion either at Christmas time or during the summer. I guess they figure we didn't work enough during the regular times at work and they're trying to fill some sort of quota!

Anyway, yeah we do a lot of playing!

John
_________________
All the Best,

John

US Navy Bandsman 1996-2010 (Trumpet; Audio Engineer)
Mpc - Kanstul/Monette B6, Hammond Design custom "JG"
Bb - Yamaha 6335HGSII
C - Eastman ETR530
Picc - NoName Chinese

donalson · Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2002 12:35 am Post subject:

thanks for the answer john, thats pretty much what i figured, i seem to remember playing a gig at church back like my 2nd year of playing w/ a few guys that played in the 79th army bad (in panama centeral america) not that i'd have called it a gig back then i was terable

anyway i rember that the guy was playing a benge i belive pretty kewl stuff

man this sounds more and more enticing, especaly w/ the wife being 3 months prego.

mark

B6L · Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2002 2:01 am Post subject:

For me it depends on the gig. Any parade or anything I need to use a lyre on I use my Navy Yamaha Z .

jadlon · Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2003 4:36 pm Post subject:

Listening to you all talk has made me a bit home sick. I retired almost 10 years ago from Navy Band Memphis. John, NAS Jax didn't have a band then! We would fly down there from Memphis to play their ceremonies!!

I have to tell you that my 21 years were both difficult and rewarding. I learned so much in that time, especially musically. I enjoyed playing and wanted to do it and that is what I got to do in the Navy. I auditioned for the Army and talked to the Marines, but was really impressed by the depth of the audition the Navy gave me. It was tough. Just like the auditions they give at SOM - which is were I auditioned.

My most sage advice to anyone considering being an instrumentalist is to play at any opportunity. I had the opportunity to play so many different styles of music while in the Navy. From rock to jazz to brass quintet to mariachi (yes we had a mariachi band when was stationed in Seattle).

I was with the Comm 7th fleet band, Memphis (two tours), Seattle, Newport, a grueling 4 years in Hawaii and a stint at the old advanced course at SOM.

Now I work for a living as a computer programmer, but I've become active playing in a good community band and orchestra here in the Memphis area plus I get the opportunity to occasionally free lance with weddings and orchestras for churchs and community theaters. I've even done taps at funerals for members of my church who've passed on. I also arrange for brass quintet and ensemble and concert band.

Well good luck to you all, I have to go practice.

Jeff Adlon, MUC (retired)

JGulyas · Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2003 5:35 pm Post subject:

MUC,

Since you're in the Memhpis area, have to hooked up with any of the Navy band folks out there in Millington? A mariachi band huh? There was nothing like that when I was in Seattle! Of course that band moved from Sand Point over to Bangor back in '95 and I got there in '97. Personally I hated it out there, it just rains too much for me. When the sun was out though the scenery was gorgeous! Anyway, welcome aboard and we'll talk to you later!

John
_________________
All the Best,

John

US Navy Bandsman 1996-2010 (Trumpet; Audio Engineer)
Mpc - Kanstul/Monette B6, Hammond Design custom "JG"
Bb - Yamaha 6335HGSII
C - Eastman ETR530
Picc - NoName Chinese

jadlon · Posted: Tue Jan 14, 2003 7:50 pm Post subject:

Just got in from rehearsal. Chops are killing me. Office chops from working long hours at the desk and not getting enough playing time or being too burned out to practice.

John, I haven't been up to the base during working hours in half a dozen years, much less visited the band room. A couple of the members play in our community band regularly. It's the bane of working for a living. I've had to give up that part of my life. Oh, there's a couple of us who get together and after a bit we'll be swapping sea stories like crazy. It was fun (and sometimes not so fun) and I miss the Navy bands, but I've moved on. New career, that sort of stuff.

So you didn't like Seattle? It does rain up there a lot. Seattlites don't tan: the rust. I got used to it and my wife and I really liked it and thought about retiring there at one time. Then we passed back through Seattle on our way back from Hawaii and were disapointed at how congested it had gotten. When I had left, the space needle defined the sky line. That's not so any more. The city and area had lost it's charm for us. But I got some great sea stories from my time with the band there!!! Many a bus ride from Sand Point to Bremerton (via ferry) or Whidbey!!

Later,

Jeff.

DecentChap · Regular Member Joined: 17 Dec 2002 Posts: 64

Achtung!
I vill tell you uf mein experientz as a jung trompetengunner in das Cherman army.
I vas drafted (ve kall it "vollundeering") chust in time for das Franco-Prussian dizagreemendt, 1870-71. I was issued the shtandart weap...uh...instrument of dat era, der vaymus und veared "Schiklgruber/Messerschmidt Rotary Valf Musik -werfer" (Mit bayonet!) Alzo known as "Schkrieming Mimi" to the kowardly Frogischers.
I vas privleged to zerve in der moszt elite unit uf der Kaiser's Army, der vaymus 6und7/8th Hessian Messkidt Repair Battalion (Der Kaiser's Own)und we terrorized the Frogischers! Many of zem zurrendered at the zite uf us aiming our SMRVM-Ws at zem. "Oui zurrender! No more "In Heaven is nicht das Bier", we can't take it anymore!"
Our Musikkorps led the triumphal parade through Paris at the end of der var und I vas zent home to await further developments.
Medals? Nein!...But ve VUN dat var!
DezentMann
Trompetengunner 3d Klass, Deceased

marktrumpet · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2003 7:53 pm Post subject:

I was in the Army Band. I had great assignments, but I absolutely hated it, and my playing just seemed to get worse and worse. Playing with a loud, out of tune, out of time, group of individuals with bad attitudes just made my playing terrible not to mention my mental state towards music and life in general.(This is not to say that all the players were bad, just the majority of them couldn't play.)

If you are out of options and there is no other way for you to get money and feed yourself, then go ahead and join the Army, but if not, I would do something else, especially if you are serious about music. I cannot speak for the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard or Air Force. From what I've heard and seen it seems like the Air Force has got the best program. Good luck!

kehaulani · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 4:24 am Post subject:

Mark - are you referring to "an" Army band or "The" Army Band?
And if "an" Army band then was that a Major Command band or a division band?
For those of you who do not understand my question..there are big differences.

JGulyas · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 5:51 am Post subject:

marktrumpet · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 3:16 pm Post subject:

Sorry about that. I was in an Army Band, actually two. The one in Japan, and a MACOM band in Atlanta. I would like to believe that it all depended on me, but it sure has been easier to get better after being out. Especially, with respect to time and just ease of playing. For example, if the guy sitting next to you rushes every fourth quarter note, at first you might notice it and tell him. Then after a while you get tired of telling him to stop rushing, because he never changes, about a year later you still know he's rushing that fourth quarter note, but you too are now rushing the fourth quarter note because you got used to hearing it that way day in and day out. It is really difficult to undue the rushing problem because you have a three hour rehearsal playing everyday. It takes more time than you have to undue the problem . It really all depends on the leadership of the band, as to what you're lifestyle and every day experience is like, but I don't think life is getting better for the Army musician.

kzem · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 3:42 pm Post subject:

Marktrumpet,

I totally agree. My main problem that's a constant challenge is intonation. You get so used to constantly adjusting (or hearing things sharp, flat, or whatever) that you develop poor habits. I have to constantly listen and play along with CD's, record myself, do some solo/recital work, etc. to keep my skills to where I want them to be. And every time I do it, I'm thinking, "Wow, do I really play those G's THAT sharp?" Yea, it beats flipping burgers, but the Army needs to have higher standards, better training and better performance opportunities. I really don't think it has changed much in the last 10 years or so.

Kurt Z

marktrumpet · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2003 9:05 pm Post subject:

It's funny that you say it beats flipping burgers. I don't flip burgers for a living, but if you were seriously into playing the trumpet and making it as freelance artist, I bet the burger flipper has a more regular schedule, and if the burger flipper says he can make a gig, I bet he doesn't have to worry about his schedule suddenly changing due to terroists, military training, etc.

If the burger flippers schedule does change I'm sure he can tell Wendy's I'm sorry, I can't make it and go work at McDonalds.

I bet the burger flipper doesn't have to move every three to four years either, making it much easier to build long a solid reputation in a given area.

This is not to say that I want to flip burgers, but to say it beats flipping burgers is debatable.