frankie big face wrote:In a strange, twisted way, I think you are taking (what you think is) the safest route to becoming a full-time musician. You get paid, you get better as a musician, you can't give up because it's a federal crime--what's not to love?
Yeah. Seems that way to me too.
Also remember that in the Army you play what they tell you to play. How many organized groups have you been in?
blue wrote:
i got $50 that says that if you do sign up, you will not end up in the band.
If he's got an audition prior to enlisting, then he should know whether he's in a music unit or not. Obviously, it's a specialty area and they want the right people there. If he doesn't pass the audition, I'm sure they'll give him a song and dance about joining anyway and auditioning again "in a few months" or "next season" or some other shit. It's still pretty misguided in my opinion.
Sven wrote:MY GUN... IS MY BEST FRIEND.... WITHOUT ME, IT IS WORTHLESS... WITHOUT IT, *I* AM WORTHLESS...
well, one could hope that IF he did end up in an infatry styled unit..his deployment would go a similar route. Just do what they tell you in basic...don't ef up.
Okay, I have some actual important information, so listen up Sober (if it's not too late).
My friend at work who played percussion and later conducted an Air Force National Guard Band told me that the Air Force is the ONLY branch of the military which has full-time dedicated musicians. He said the others, including the army, have what's called "dual-duty" assignments, where you are an infantryman and a musician. As an example of the difference, he said when he went to basic training, he fired a gun maybe two times. When you go to basic training, you'll have to do gun training, grenades, tactical maneuvering, the works. His unit has no chance of deployment because they're not trained to do anything except play! (He said in a worst case scenario, maybe he'd have to help load boxes onto a truck or something.) The only way you would be guaranteed a full-time music gig in the army is if you were able to make the Washington-based army band---the bigtime one with conservatory-level players.
He didn't think your overall idea was stupid but he did think it was stupid to enlist in the army and urged me to get you to consider the air force because it is more suited to your goal. Hope this is helpful. Let me know if you want to talk to him--he's a good guy.
Army= Marching and fighting
Navy= Sitting on a ship and they still live by the creed: "Drinking fucking and fighting" not necessarily in that order. Plus you go more places. See the world.
Plus they aren't as...shall we say...as "military" as the rest. Pretty lax.
HM3 Moran
"When you can balance a tack-hammer on your head; you can then head off you opponent with a balanced attack!"
