The End of US Military bands and drum corps?

[xandandl]

We're accustomed to seeing the Marine Corps DBC at various DCI contests throughout the country. Phantom Regiment held their 60th anniversary celebration and featured how many of PR's alums fill the military lines. At season's end many MMs consider a future career as a military musician. But even before the November elections bring new or skewed perspectives, talk in Washington has challenged the norms of funding for the musical military units. (Check the Washington Post and NY Times archives for current debates this year in Congress and Defense Dept.)

This article from New London, home of 7th Regiment and their neighbors the Coast Guard, shows some of the shifting perspectives.

http://www.theday.com/military/20160808/coast-guard-looks-to-raise-its-bands-national-profile

[D41145]

I think as long as the huge fan base is still happy with things and they still have a steady flow of musicians wanting to be in corps, then it will stay. Fingers crossed, I get my chance this November!!

[TroopAlum12]

There has been a very strong backlash from musicians and music educators around the country. Join the fight and write your congresspeople!

[CrownBariDad]

From a former military musician: At some point in the near future, they WILL eliminate all the bands outside of DC and just keep the Service bands and maybe the Academy bands.

After all, the politicians in DC really need THEIR pomp and circumstance.

[CorpsRelic]

We're accustomed to seeing the Marine Corps DBC at various DCI contests throughout the country. Phantom Regiment held their 60th anniversary celebration and featured how many of PR's alums fill the military lines. At season's end many MMs consider a future career as a military musician. But even before the November elections bring new or skewed perspectives, talk in Washington has challenged the norms of funding for the musical military units. (Check the Washington Post and NY Times archives for current debates this year in Congress and Defense Dept.)

This article from New London, home of 7th Regiment and their neighbors the Coast Guard, shows some of the shifting perspectives.

http://www.theday.com/military/20160808/coast-guard-looks-to-raise-its-bands-national-profile

So sad to see the demise of most of the Military Drum Corps over the years.....I fondly recall the Air Force and Naval Corps... I believe at one time there use to be an annual "Military Corps Competition". I recall years back seeing one on youtube from Annapolis?! I welcome any one to further expland my recollection on this matter. Thank You and Salute!

[xandandl]

We're accustomed to seeing the Marine Corps DBC at various DCI contests throughout the country. Phantom Regiment held their 60th anniversary celebration and featured how many of PR's alums fill the military lines. At season's end many MMs consider a future career as a military musician. But even before the November elections bring new or skewed perspectives, talk in Washington has challenged the norms of funding for the musical military units. (Check the Washington Post and NY Times archives for current debates this year in Congress and Defense Dept.)

This article from New London, home of 7th Regiment and their neighbors the Coast Guard, shows some of the shifting perspectives.

http://www.theday.com/military/20160808/coast-guard-looks-to-raise-its-bands-national-profile

So sad to see the demise of most of the Military Drum Corps over the years.....I fondly recall the Air Force and Naval Corps... I believe at one time there use to be an annual "Military Corps Competition". I recall years back seeing one on youtube from Annapolis?! I welcome any one to further expland my recollection on this matter. Thank You and Salute!

I think there is a distinction between the scholastic musical units at West Point, Annapolis, New London, Colorado Springs, and Kings Point and with the ceremonial musical units of the usual military. The competition was among the scholastic corps wasn't it? (I''d say Academy but in DCI that group has its own identity, particularly this week!)

From hearing things around New London, I believe the newspaper article and congressional/DoD debates have more to do with regular military and not the scholastic groups. The Academies are each also a university whose academic credentials would be further challenged by the accrediting agencies (New England States, Middle States, College Board, etc.) without musical education and these groups as part of academic and co-curricular activities available to the students in each. Kings Point was probably the more famous of the concerns a while back defending the engineering and navigation capacities beyond following DoD mandates. They came out with flying colors and some "suggestions."

Edited August 10, 2016 by xandandl

[Lance]

As a former military musician, it's interesting to see threads like this.

[flammaster]

[CrownBariDad]

I think there is a distinction between the scholastic musical units at West Point, Annapolis, New London, Colorado Springs, and Kings Point and with the ceremonial musical units of the usual military. The competition was among the scholastic corps wasn't it? (I''d say Academy but in DCI that group has its own identity, particularly this week!)

From hearing things around New London, I believe the newspaper article and congressional/DoD debates have more to do with regular military and not the scholastic groups. The Academies are each also a university whose academic credentials would be further challenged by the accrediting agencies (New England States, Middle States, College Board, etc.) without musical education and these groups as part of academic and co-curricular activities available to the students in each. Kings Point was probably the more famous of the concerns a while back defending the engineering and navigation capacities beyond following DoD mandates. They came out with flying colors and some "suggestions."

Having served at the USAF Academy, there is not much music education going on that I'm aware. The Cadets had a drum and bugle corps that performs a little, but the "real" band are active duty musicians.

I think the pecking order for elimination is:

-- Base level bands first

-- Academy bands next

-- DC bands last

[shofmon88]

In all of the obese military budget, the fact that they can't find room to keep music programs alive and well is appalling, and just goes to show where lawmakers' true concerns lie.

Last year's military band budget was $437 million. That's pretty huge, actually, but this supports salaries, travel, instruments, etc., and the Army has over 100 groups alone. However, last year's total military budget was $598.5 billion. This means that total support for all of these bands was 0.07% of the overall budget.