Principals of Rehearsing (Training)

In the Army, musical performances are called “missions” and rehearsals are called “training.” Therefore, Army Bands, like professional symphony orchestras, opera companies, and ballet corps, do a lot of “training and missions.” This terminology helps us speak the same language as our non-musical colleagues (i.e. infantry, transportation, and engineering corps) and adhere to strict Army training guidelines.

Infantry Soldier: “What do you do in that band hall every day?”

Band Soldier: “Same thing you do in the field every day.

We train, so we can execute missions successfully.”

The Army has produced a 218-page guide to training, called Army Regulation 350–1: Army Training and Leader Development, and believe it or not, this document is full of good tips and concepts for conductors and musical leaders. I’ll spare you the long, acronym-laden read and just share with you my favorite Army Training Concepts, paraphrased, of course.

Principles of Army Training

1. Train as a Team. Obviously, an ensemble is a team. Musicians know the difference between practice and rehearsal (practice happens alone in a practice room; rehearsal happens with your team after you are already prepared as an individual), and the Army acknowledges the same phenomenon when training soldiers for combat operations. Team members practice on their own, but “train” as a team. They don't waste the team's time learning notes or working on technique in rehearsal.

2. Train as you Fight. This concept is fairly self-explanatory. Soldiers try to simulate real combat in training. Like musicians, they use the same equipment and work with the same people in training that they will execute the mission with. They train in similar environs, under the same conditions (lighting, weather, time of day, etc.). Musicians should strive to do the same. You wouldn’t use a different instrument on the day of the concert from the one you rehearsed with, right?

3. Prepare for your operational environment. See #2, and add to that: bring all the stuff with you that you will need. Remember: it’s better to bring too much equipment and not need it, than to wish you had your [whatever] when you have to perform. Have you ever showed up to a gig where there were no music stands? Played an outdoor gig and wished you had clothespins? Showed up in a pit and wished you had a stand light? "Prepare for your operational environment."

4. Train to standard, not to time. I love this one. Musicians, like soldiers, should rehearse until the music is “at standard.” What is the standard? That's tough to say. A musical performance, no matter how inspired, is never perfect – there is always something to improve – but a wise conductor knows when s/he has reached the pinnacle with an ensemble. Given the parameters (rehearsal time, repertoire, abilities of the players, preparation time, environment, etc.), the performance should be as good as it can reasonably be. That is the standard. If an ensemble reaches the standard, and there is still rehearsal time left, dismiss them early! Musicians love this! In fact, many players judge conductors based on how early they get to go home...

But if rehearsal time runs out and the [reasonable] standard is not yet reached, rehearse some more. Well...this concept works in the Army, where soldier-musicians are full-time, salaried, and at the beck and call of the Commander (Music Director). Civilian musicians typically have an orchestra manager or union rep who puts the kibosh on rehearsals that run over, which means conductors often have to settle for sub-par performance, knowing the ensemble can do better. Players often feel the same way, and in my experience professional musicians who are paid per service would often rather stay a few minutes longer and get it right, rather than say, “Well, time is up. I guess that’s as good as it’s gonna be.” Regardless, an ensemble should rehearse until it's right, ignoring the clock. In reality, you have to plan too much rehearsal time, or - if finances restrict your ability to do that - rehearse more efficiently!

5. Recovery is crucial. After every mission there is a recovery period. It includes physical recovery, but mostly it refers to the time needed to “reset” the organization to be ready for the next mission. In an orchestra, this is the time required for the library to recover/return/store the parts, the stage crew to break down/load out/store equipment, etc. For musical artists, the recovery period is often the after-party and sleeping in later tomorrow morning. Whatever you and your ensemble need to be prepared for the next “mission”—that is absolutely crucial to your success. Unless the gig was especially rough, your team won’t have PTSD, but they will need some recovery time.

So…for your next non-Army concert, enact some Army Training Principals. Get your players to prepare in advance so you can optimize your rehearsal time as a team, plan the rehearsals to be as similar to the concert environment as possible, bring all the equipment and supplies you could possibly need, plan sufficient rehearsal time so that the ensemble can reach its maximum potential (then let them go early!), and—for goodness sake—plan a good after-party.

Uncle Sam Wants You! (even conductors!)

I have been an Army Band Officer for about 14 months, and I love it. Most of my civilian conductor friends and colleagues think it's weird, but some of them understand the high level of musicianship and the gratifying nature of work in the Army (or any armed service). A few have asked me how one becomes an Army Band Officer, and as luck would have it, Uncle Sam is looking for conductors on an ongoing basis. Could you be an Army conductor?

MY STORY:

A few years ago, a friend of mine told me the Army was looking for conductors. I had never considered a career as a military musician because I had virtually no experience with bands. I am a classical guitarist-turned-orchestra-conductor, and I had never marched. My career as an orchestra conductor and opera producer was going just fine. What would the Army want with a guy like me? Why would I quit my current career to join the military? I applied for the job because that’s what conductors do – we apply for jobs, even jobs we know we won’t get and others we aren’t even sure we want. I was surprised to receive an invitation to the audition in Washington D.C. I thought, “They’ll never hire me, but I’ll take the audition for the experience. For the rest of my life I’ll be able to say, ‘I conducted the U.S. Army Band once.’ Why not?"


THE AUDITION:

I went to D.C., and on the first day of the audition I played a mini-recital on my instrument (Tarrega, Dowland, and Stevie Ray Vaughan) and took a bunch of musical exams: foreign language terms, score reading, sight-singing, arranging, transpositions, etc. It reminded me of the audition for the DMA program at Peabody or Eastman. I could see that they were looking for outstanding, excellent, versatile conductors.

On the second day, I conducted The U.S. Army Band in the morning and the U.S. Army Chorus after lunch. The level of musicianship was epic, and I enjoyed making music with them so much that I did not want the audition to end. Afterward, the selection committee – a panel of Band Officers – asked me about myself, my experience, why I wanted to be a Band Officer, etc. Then I waited in the lobby until a colonel called me back to an office and offered me a position as an Army Band Officer. The colonel told me to talk to my wife and think about it. He said, “This is a life-altering decision.”

THE DECISION:

I thought about this decision for a long time: Should I continue doing what I’m doing? I work in the opera department of a prestigious conservatory in New York City. I am the Music Director of two orchestras. I have guest conducting jobs. I have control over my schedule. I love living in New York. My career is getting better and better each year, though nothing is guaranteed.

Or should I quit life as I know it, join the Army, spend nine months in training separated from my wife, and commit myself to working with Army Bands? I will have to cancel all my conducting engagements for the next year, and for the rest of my career I will move to a new city every 2 or 3 years. I will have much better job security and a pension after 20 years, but there is a strict pay schedule – I will never get rich. I will be at the beck and call of the Army. And will it be musically fulfilling?

TWO YEARS LATER:

I accepted the job, of course, and I think joining the Army was the best decision I could have made. I love this job because I conduct nearly every week (sometimes several times a week), I work with great musicians, and I feel fulfilled and appreciated. This job is not for every conductor, but if you are talented (no hacks allowed!), hard-working, flexible, and fit (and not too old), you might make a good Army Band Officer.

On July 3, 2012, I conducted in front of 6,000+ people. That felt good.

THE PROs AND CONs:

There are plenty of pros and cons. Most of them are either pros or cons depending on you. Soldier-musicians have to stay fit. If you love to run and work out, as I do, this is a pro. Soldiers relocate on a regular basis. If you love to travel and live in new places, as I do, this is a pro. Our repertoire satisfies the needs of each mission and includes a lot of patriotic and pops repertoire. If you like to program long symphonic programs of serious music or opera, as I do, this is a con. Soldiers have to adhere to certain grooming regulations and moral codes. The Army is very structured and steeped in tradition. Military people love acronyms. These could all be pros or cons, depending on your personality.

PAY AND BENEFITS:

Our salaries are public information, and you can see the monthly base pay scale here. Officers start as Second Lieutenants (pay grade 0-1), and after about 2 years, we get promoted to First Lieutenant (0-2). In another 2 years, if all goes well, we make Captain (0-3). As you can see, a Second Lieutenant with less than two years of service is not paid very well. You can also see that a Major (0-4), Lieutenant Colonel (0-5), or Colonel (0-6) with twenty years of service makes a decent living.

In addition to the base pay, the Army pays each soldier a housing allowance. Click here and enter your zip code and "0-1" to see what a Second Lieutenant in your area would get for a housing allowance. The benefit are generous. Free health care for you and your dependents, life insurance, and some other perks. After 20 years, a Soldier can retire and draw 50% of his/her base pay until death. An Army Band Officer will never make as much as the Music Director of the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, or Houston Grand Opera. If you think you have a serious shot at a job like that, good luck.

HOW DO I BECOME AN ARMY BAND OFFICER?

You have to apply by sending a resume, demo DVD, and a full-length photo. You must be at least 18 years old but not older than 35, a U.S. citizen, a college graduate, and physically fit. It is very competitive. The deadline is Friday, January 18, 2013. The Army generally accepts applications every January, so if this week is too soon, consider it in the future. See all the info about the job, audition process, and application here.

QUESTIONS?

If you have questions about the process, the job, or anything else, please contact me. What is basic training like? What is OCS like? What is your daily schedule like? How many performances a year do you conduct? What's the best/worst thing about the job? Just ask. I won't sugar-coat it.