AFROTC Music Majors

soccerchic

5-Year Member
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Dec 2, 2012
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Hi everyone! So my best friend is interested in an AF band career. However she doesn't have a lot of information on the route to achieve that. She does know that she wants to attend college. Does the Air Force have scholarships for AFROTC as music majors? Is it likely that the prestigious scholarships would rather go to technical majors? I'm just trying to get some info to pass on to her.

By the way, she is a fantastic player! We both attend the best performing arts school in the state. She is apart of All-state and the National Honor Band of America.(for anyone who knows what those are)

Thanks!
 
Soccerchic: I have very limited knowledge but if your friend is interested in the elite military bands then this is way outside the ROTC type of career path. These musicians are some of the best of the best and not really part of the active duty regular military forces. I have known several people who have joined the USMC or Army elite bands and both were music majors with established careers (one educator, the other a professional performer) who joined several years after college.

I am sure your school's music teachers can pass on some knowledge in this area.

I fully admit my information is anecdotal so recommend she investigates much more thoroughly.
 
Soccerchic: I have very limited knowledge but if your friend is interested in the elite military bands then this is way outside the ROTC type of career path. .

USMCGRUNT,
So you think the best way would be to enlist after putting herself through college?
 
I don't know much on the subject, but I am pretty sure that you can not directly branch into the AF Band. You have to branch something else, and THEN apply. So your friend needs to decide if she is ok with serving time in another field before getting a chance to play with the band and should have a very good back up plan for if she cannot get a slot.
 
I know one girl that was an AFROTC scholarship music major, BUT what you need to realize is she will serve at the needs of the AF. This cadet commissioned as a Public Affairs officer. She didn't go into a musician position. However, yet because of the commitment owed, she is serving 4 yrs as a PA, and delaying her musical career to pay for the scholarship.

I have sold 3 homes to Army musicians and as clarkson stated they were enlisted. Their entire career would be here in DC.

Additionally, with sequestration occurring, who knows how much they will be impacted. I ca't imagine they are going to ground the Thunderbirds, one of their biggest recruiting asset and keep Tops In Blue. Tops in Blue is like the 82nd AB chorus. They are ADAF members that audition to do this as an assignment. It is not their career. It is a few yrs., that's it.
 
Clarkson is right, the members of the National Military Bands are enlisted, though the conductor is an officer.

You do not join the AF Band, you audition, just as you would a major Symphony, if selected you would then be sent to Basic Training and return to the band.

Most members of any of the major Military bands have a Masters in music or above, many with concert experience.

Like Clarkson said, visit the bands website for more information.
 
As money is becoming tighter for the Gov, mostly the scolarships are being awarded to the Technical Majors (engineering, math, etc.)

Also, even if she does get a music major, there may not be an opening in her instrument for the AF band and may have a regular AF job for possibly several years.
 
Don't know much about musicians in the ROTC route, but I have a friend who is a musician for the Air Force. During college she joined the reserves for the Air Force as a musician. She does training and goes for a certain number of weekends, but that is for reserves and not active duty.
 
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