Earn money doing what you enjoy. Military musicians provide musical support for all aspects of military life including ceremonial parades, graduations and mess dinners. Military musicians, by means of public performances, provide an important public relations vehicle for the Canadian Armed Forces. Music personnel could find themselves in a wide variety of performing environments and venues, from performances in concert halls to providing music during parades and ceremonies.
As highly visible representatives of the Canadian Forces, musicians must be constantly aware of the need to maintain a very high level of dress and deportment and must carry out their duties with a high degree of professionalism and exemplary behavior.
Rehearsals and Performances
The band rehearses every Tuesday and some Thursday evenings beginning in September and going through to June. Most performances occur on weekends.
Remuneration
Members are paid for all rehearsals and performances they attend based on their rank and number of years of service. Promotion within the forces is based on time served and the completion of musicianship and leadership courses. Rank promotion is accompanied by an increase in pay. The Regiment or the Canadian Armed Forces provides uniforms, instruments and equipment for all reserve members. For the current pay rates please visit CF Pay Scale. As well, the military has a dental plan covering 90% of your dental expenses. For university students there is a tuition rebate program which pays up to $2000 a year for a maximum of 4 years and $8000.
Eligibility
We are an equal opportunity employer. All branches of the Canadian Forces are open to men and women. We do, however, have certain criteria that must be met in order to become a reserve musician.
Basic eligibility requirements are as follow. You must:
How to Join
The first step to joining the band is to contact MCpl Lonny. She can be reached at 786-4300, ext 3490 on Tuesday and some Thursday evenings. If there is a position available for your instrument and you meet the above requirements, you will be asked to attend a few rehearsals and to audition for the Director of Music. During the live audition, you will be required to:
You should be prepared to supply a copy of the prepared music that you intend to play. Sight reading and ensemble materials will be supplied by the auditioner. Scales and chords should be played from memory.
After a successful audition, you will begin the process of joining the army. You will be required to pass a medical exam, physical fitness test, an aptitude test and then complete the basic military qualification course.