Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the West Point Band?
The West Point Band, also known as the United States Military Academy Band or USMA Band, is West Point’s official Army band-in-residence. Its core mission is to fulfill musical requirements of the Academy in support of the U.S. Corps of Cadets. It is the oldest, continuously serving Army band and the oldest unit at West Point. It is also one of four designated “Special Bands” in the Army. Its members are given the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS, i.e. job code) of 42S, Special Bandsperson.

2. Who is in the band?
The band consists entirely of professional musicians who are active duty Soldiers in the U.S. Army. Cadets do not serve in the band.

3. Do Soldiers really play a musical instrument full-time for the Army?
Yes! The West Point Band is one of over 30 active duty Army bands. In every case, band members play a musical instrument full-time for the Army. 42R is the MOS for Bandsperson, and 42S is the MOS for Special Bandsperson. Both are full-fledged Army jobs, like military police, truck driver, cook, medic, and so on.

4. What’s the difference between an Army Special Band and any other Army band?
There are four Special Bands: West Point Band; U.S. Army Band; U.S. Army Field Band; and the Fife and Drum (Old Guard) 3d Infantry Regiment. Each has a specialized mission. The West Point Band’s specialized mission is to support the U.S. Corps of Cadets. Special Bandspersons typically hold college degrees from leading music institutions. Their civilian experiences are already of a professional, polished caliber before joining a Special Band. The audition criteria for Special Bandspersons are particularly stringent.

BAND PERFORMANCES

5. Can the general public come into West Point for a band performance?
Yes. Enter West Point at either Stony Lonesome or Thayer Gate and show your government I.D. (driver’s license, for example). A 100% I.D. check is mandatory for persons 16 and over. A 100% vehicle inspection is also required. You must state the purpose for your entry into West Point, i.e. “We are attending the West Point Band Concert at Eisenhower Hall.”

6. Can we bring food and beverages to the outdoor Trophy Point concerts?
Yes.

7. Where are your concerts held?
Trophy Point, Eisenhower Hall Theatre, Eisenhower Hall Ballroom, West Point Jewish Chapel, Egner Hall Band Building (685 Hardee Place), and the West Point Cadet Chapel.

8. Where can I get directions to West Point?
Click here for directions.

9. How do I pay for tickets and where can I get them?
Tickets are not required for most West Point Band concerts. Concerts are free and open to the public. Occasionally, certain concerts require free tickets. When this happens, please check this website for information on how to obtain the free tickets.

10. How do I find out about the free concerts?
Check the Schedule page on this website. Call the Hotline at 845-938-2617. Become a West Point Band fan on Facebook or keep up with the Jazz Knights at MySpace.

11. How do I request the band?
Follow this link to the Stage Manager’s Guide and Request The Band page for more information.

12. What is your concert schedule like?
There are a few on-post concert series:

Seasonal Performances

Mid-June through Labor Day Weekend. Music Under the Stars. Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m. Outdoor at scenic Trophy Point Amphitheatre overlooking the Hudson. A great opportunity for family picnics.
September-May. Guest Artist Series concerts featuring the Jazz Knights or Concert Band in Eisenhower Hall.
September-May. Chamber Music Series held on Sundays at 3:00 p.m. feature the virtuoso talents of West Point Band members as soloists and in small groups: Brass quintets, woodwind quintets, jazz combos, and more. Either at the Jewish Chapel or Egner Hall Band Building.
September-December. Marching Band and chamber ensembles support Army home football game activities.
March-June. All components support the parade season and graduation.

Annual Performances

John Philip Sousa Concert. January
African American History Month Concert. February
Young Artists Competition Winners Concert. Spring
Armed Forces Day Concert. May (usually the Sunday before cadet graduation).
Independence Day Concert. Saturday near July 4th, Trophy Point with fireworks and cannons.
1812 Overture Concert. Saturday of Labor Day Weekend. The final Trophy Point concert.
Veteran’s Day Concert. November, the Sunday closest to the 11th, in Eisenhower Hall.
Hudson Valley Holiday Concerts. Second weekend of December

ABOUT CADET MUSIC

13. Are cadets in the West Point Band?
No. Cadets, however, do participate in a variety of music clubs.

14. What musical opportunities exist for West Point Cadets?
Follow these links to learn more about the music clubs available to cadets: Cadet Glee Club, Cadet Spirit Band, Cadet String Orchestra, Cadet Fife and Drum Band, Cadet Gospel Choir, Cadet Field Music.

15. Do band members teach cadet music classes?
No.

16. How do I become a West Point cadet?
Click here for West Point Admissions.

JOINING THE BAND

17. How does one get assigned as an active duty Soldier/Musician to the West Point Band?
Each of the approximately 80 instrumental positions in the West Point Band is auditioned. Most band members enlist in the Army specifically to serve in the West Point Band. When a vacancy arises, it is advertised on the band’s website, to other military bands, in trade journals, and to universities and colleges nationwide. Applicants send an audition packet that includes a CD and a resume. A committee of West Point Band personnel reviews the packets. Selected candidates are invited to West Point for an in-person audition at Army expense. If the winner of the audition is a civilian, he signs a contract to serve specifically in the West Point Band and heads to Basic Training. (A different process is in place if one joins the West Point Band from within the military.)

18. How can I find out about West Point Band vacancies?
Click here to learn about current Vacancies.

19. How can I find out about other Army Band auditions?
Click here for Army Bands Online.

20. Does the band go to a “band only” Basic Training?
West Point Band members attend regular, nine-week Basic Combat Training. They are combined with trainees who will become infantrymen, engineers, artillerymen, and all other jobs in the Army. There are no “band only” Basic Training companies. Band personnel must complete all of the standard Army requirements in order to graduate from Basic Training. This includes maintaining appropriate weight for height, passing a fitness test, and qualifying on a rifle marksmanship test.

21. Why do band members get the rank of specialist when enlisting?
The specialist (SPC) rank is awarded to Special Bandspersons based on their Civilian Acquired Skills, not possession of a college degree, as is sometimes the perception. As an incentive to enlistment, the Army awards musicians with an advanced rank through the Army Civilian Acquired Skills Program (ACASP). According to Army Regulation 601-210, Chapter 7, Section II, Paragraph 7-12a, “Applicants enlisting under the ACASP will be enlisted in pay grade SPC if they meet the criteria.”

22. Why don’t West Point Band members go to AIT?
Special Bandspersons’ Civilian Acquired Skills allow them to bypass Advanced Individual Training (AIT, i.e. job skill training) at the Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, VA, and report directly to West Point upon graduation from Basic Training.

23. Do band members really get promoted to staff sergeant only four months after enlisting in the Army?
Yes. According to Army Regulation 601-210, Chapter 7, Section II, Paragraph 7-12b, “For applicants enlisting in the United States Army Special Bands, promotion to the accelerated grade [of E6, i.e., staff sergeant] . . . will be made . . . after successful completion of all training required by the enlistment program. . .. This includes 8 weeks of successful performance in the skill [after 9 weeks of Basic Training, for a total of 4 months]. The accelerated grade will be awarded to qualified Soldiers without regard to time in grade, time in service, or promotion allocation.” This accelerated rank is based both on the work accomplished as civilians and the level of work expected as incoming Special Bandspersons.

24. Who is eligible to play in the band?
Anyone eligible to serve in the Army can audition for the band. Applicants work with a recruiter and must meet medical, physical, and psychological standards set forth by Army regulations for all Soldiers enlisting in the Army. Most applicants are civilians, but many of our members have come from other branches of the military.

25. Do band members have to hold a college degree?
A college degree is not required to join the band, but at the time of this writing, 93% of band members hold college degrees, mostly in music. Many renowned institutions are represented in the degrees band members hold: Curtis Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music, Indiana University, Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, University of North Texas, among others. Below is the breakdown of college degrees:

48 hold master’s degrees
35 hold bachelor’s degrees
5 have begun or completed course work on doctoral degrees
1 holds a doctoral degree
1 holds an associate’s degree

BAND DUTIES

26. What does the band do?
The West Point Band comprises four components, each with a unique role:

Field Music
The 13-person Field Music group consists of buglers and rudimental drummers. It is informally referred to as “The Hellcats.” They fulfill traditional duties dating to the 1800’s, sounding Reveille and Retreat at the garrison flagpole and providing music each weekday as the cadets march into the mess hall. The Hellcats play an important role in providing musical support at funerals.

Jazz Knights
The associate bandmaster is the officer-in-charge of the 18-member Jazz Knights. It presents concerts of jazz and popular styles. Small ensembles are formed from the Jazz Knights to perform at various Academy functions.

Concert Band
A 49-member wind band, it presents concerts of classical music, pops, and marches. Chamber ensembles are formed from the Concert Band to perform at Academy functions and in outreach capacities in schools and communities.

Support Staff
The support staff consists of seven non-commissioned officers: the staff arranger, two audio engineers, and NCO’s in operations, administration, supply, and instrument repair.

27. Where and when does the band perform?
All three musical components are found throughout the year performing at Academy functions such as receptions, dinners, cadet hops, and special events. In addition, the band hosts three concert series. The summer Music Under the Stars series takes place at Trophy Point Amphitheatre and features the Concert Band and Jazz Knights on alternating weeks from mid-June through Labor Day weekend. The winter Recital Series takes place either at the Jewish Chapel or Egner Hall (the band building) and features chamber ensembles led by members from all components of the band. The Guest Artist Series is held from September-May in Eisenhower Hall Theatre. It features world-class guest artists performing with the Jazz Knights or the Concert Band.

The ensembles perform most often locally and throughout the Northeastern states. Various large and small ensembles may occasionally travel to other areas of the country. The band performs in some of the world’s most famous venues like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. It regularly accepts invitations to perform at prestigious music conferences and festivals, among them the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and the International Association of Jazz Education Convention.

28. What else does the band do aside from perform in concert?
Each musical component regularly records new musical works by prominent composers as well as those written by band members. The resulting CDs are available to educational institutions, radio, television, and related websites for free. These recordings can be heard at the band’s Listening Room. The band performs with many well-known guest artists each year and participates in radio and television broadcasts.

Band members organize and host outreach educational events. These events bring together students, teachers, and top industry professionals in a stimulating atmosphere of performance and instruction. In the past few years some events have included the West Point Jazz Festival, West Point Trumpet Conference, West Point Clarinet Summit, Conductor’s Workshop, Young People’s Concert, Instrument Repair Workshop, and Audio Workshop.

29. What are the individual duties of band members?
A band member’s primary duty is to perform as an instrumentalist. West Point Band personnel must maintain a high level of proficiency on their instrument. They nurture it through daily practice, continual performance, and with professional development such as attendance at music conferences and through lessons with respected professionals.

30. Do band members have non-musical duties?
Typically, yes. Since the band is a self-sustaining organization, band personnel have secondary duties in areas such as publicity, building maintenance, administration, music preparation, information technology, operations, and others. The Marching Band season, for example, is administered by a secondary duty staff. The staff designs the pre-game and halftime shows seen by millions of people every year at home games and on television.

31. When and where does the band rehearse?
The three musical components rehearse most weekdays. Since they usually perform at night, the Jazz Knights and the Concert Band rehearse in the mornings. Field Music, which performs at different intervals throughout the day, has a more flexible rehearsal schedule. Each component rehearses in its own area in Egner Hall, Bldg 685, the West Point Band’s dedicated headquarters, located next to the Garrison Headquarters.

32. Do band members perform outside of the West Point Band?
Yes, provided the performances occur outside of duty hours. Many band members established successful civilian careers before arriving at West Point, and it is natural for them to maintain civilian ties. In their off-duty hours, West Point Band members perform with symphony orchestras, in Broadway show orchestras, and with pop music stars. They win international music competitions, write music texts, compose and arrange music for performing artists, are college music professors, and maintain private teaching studios. Their expertise is sought after as adjudicators at music competitions, clinicians at music conferences, and as guest soloists with university ensembles. They are recording artists for record labels. These continued civilian associations increase awareness of the band and strengthen its musicianship.

BAND ORGANIZATION

33. How is the band structured?
The band is led by a command staff that consists of two commissioned officers, the Commander and Deputy Commander; one Warrant Officer, the Associate Bandmaster; and the highest ranking enlisted Soldier, the Band Command Sergeant Major (band CSM).

Each section of each musical component is led by the principal player, the musical supervisor of the section, and the section leader, the administrative supervisor of the section. All section members report to the section leader, who reports to the group leader. Each group leader reports to the band CSM, who reports to the commander.

Six sergeants major preside over the areas of logistics, building maintenance, publicity, personnel, operations, and security; approximately fourteen master sergeants, twenty sergeants first class, and forty-five staff sergeants hold secondary duty jobs in these areas.

The band functions on behalf of West Point’s Superintendent and is overseen by the Chief of Staff.

34. How are band members selected for promotion?
Band members compete for promotion to the next highest rank (E7, E8, and E9) with only their peers in the West Point Band based on performance of duties.

35. Do band members choose what component they want to perform with on a given day?
No. Every band member auditions for and is assigned to one specific position in one component of the band. No one “floats” from one position to another. Sometimes, however, a member from one component performs with another component when extra parts are called for or to cover leave, sickness, or other absences.

36. Is the Marching Band part of the West Point Band?
The Marching Band is a combination of members from the Hellcats, Jazz Knights, and Concert Band.

37. How long does one serve in the West Point Band?
An instrumentalist or support staff position in the West Point Band is a “stabilized,” permanent assignment with the band. At present, the initial enlistment is three years and can be extended through reenlistment. Many band members serve their entire military careers (twenty years or more) at West Point and retire from the band.

38. Do band members live at West Point?
Band members have the option to live at West Point or off-post.

-- FAQ developed and compiled by SSG Mark Tonelli --

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