EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The Australian Army Band Corps is currently undertaking a major recruiting drive for anyone wanting to make a career playing music. Please read the information below for more information.
If you would like to receive a free interactive recruiting DVD, which includes detailed information and showcases everything we do as musicians in the Army, please contact us via the details located below.
Australian Army Band Melbourne
Simpson Barracks
Macleod VIC 3085
Ph: 03 9450 7407
Email: aabm.pr@defence.gov.au
Enlisting into the Australian Army as a Musician
You must be between the ages of 17 and 56, be an Australian citizen or hold permanent residency status (or be elible to), and be medically and physically fit. For more information on current requirements for enlistment into the Australian Regular Army, please click here.
Unlike the process for general enlistment into the Australian Army as an infantry rifleman or engineer, for example, it is a two-part process to enlist into the Australian Army as a Musician. The first part is to determine your suitability as a musician in the Army. The second part is then to determine your suitability as a soldier in the Australian Army.
An audition is required to find your suitability as a musician. The audition is conducted by a Music Director of an Army Band and is designed to test a number of criterion (please click on the 'Audition Guide' file below to find out more). Upon successful completion of your audition it is then onto the second part.
Now that you're suitable for entry into the Australian Army as a musician, we now need to assess your suitability as a soldier. This is were you need to ring Defence Recruiting on 13 19 01 and register. To find out more about the second part of the enlistment process, click here.
To find out more about other jobs in the Army, click on the following link. Defence Jobs
Audition Guide FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Below are some frequently asked questions about Army Bands and life within Army. If you would like any additional information or a free recruiting DVD please contact us. Our contact details are:
Australian Army Band Melbourne
Simpson Barracks
Macleod VIC 3085
Ph: 03 9450 7407
Email: aabm.pr@defence.gov.au
- Your local Defence Recruiting Centre on 13 19 01, or go to
What instruments are you looking for?
An Australian Army Band (full-time or part-time) comprises of the following instrumentation:
Drums
Vocals (female & male)
Saxophones
Trombones
Trumpets
Tubas
Euphonium
French Horn
Electric Guitar
Bass Guitar / Double Bass
Piano
Percussion
Flute / Piccolo
Clarinets
Oboe
Bassoon
Although there are limitied vacancies within the Australian Army Band Melbourne, opportunities exist for full time (green) and part time (red) musicians in other Army Bands, which are indicated on the Australian map below.
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| Location of Army Bands in Australia |
What musical standard do I have to be?
To assess your suitability as a musician in the Australian Army, an audition will be required.
To be considered suitable for entry you need to demonstrate the following musical skills, at a high level during the audition:
* performance on primary instrument;
* sight reading;
* technical work (scales, arpeggios etc);
* aural perception; and
* theoretical knowledge.
The most important aspects of the audition are being able to play your primary instrument competently and sight reading to a high standard. Consideration should be given for an audition even if you are not as strong in areas such as, aural and theory. We can provide professional training to help you.
Every musician joining the Army undergoes training at the Defence Force School of Music (DFSM) in Melbourne. The standard of your audition will determine the duration of training required at the DFSM for people wanting full-time employment. Training courses range from 6 weeks up to 15 months.
Musicians who successfully audition for part-time bands will receive 12 months on-the-job training within the band. There is no requirement to attend the DFSM for training.
Note: As a guide (and it is only a guide); people around 8th grade A.M.E.B. ( Australian Music Examination Board
) should really consider auditioning for full-time employment and/or part-time employment as a musician within the Army. It is not necessary that you have completed A.M.E.B. exams.
Some musicians have never done an A.M.E.B. exam yet are quite capable of being employed as a musician. Conversely, some musicians have only reached say 5th grade yet they are also capable of being employed as a musician. Let the audition process be the judge.
Check out the audition guide below.
Audition Guide How do I audition?
If you would like to organise an audition for entry into the Australian Army, please contact us via the details above.
What type of music do you play?
An Australian Army Band consists of 35 musicians that primarily operate as a concert band. The band regularly breaks down into smaller ensembles like jazz ensemble, rock band, big band, woodwind quintet, brass quintet and fanfare team. This enables us to perform all genres of music such as, light jazz, Glenn Miller to Top40, Tschaikovsky to Lloyd Webber and everything in between.
How much do I get paid?
Full-time: After completing all training*, your salary and superannuation package is currently $64,000 per annum. Money is not the only attractive factor in joining the Army. Additional benefits include:
housing rental subsidies,
loan subsidies,
study assistance,
free medical and dental care,
travel (both nationally and internationally),
professional instruments provided, and
a minimum of four weeks annual leave.
Part-time: your daily rate of pay is around $120 tax free.
* Includes the following training:
1. basic soldier training (current annual salary is $27000, excluding superannuation)
2. basic musician course, up to 15 months training (current annual salary is $31000, excluding superannuation) and
3. up to 12 months on-the-job training (current annual salary is $50000, excluding superannuation.
Do you Travel?
Oportunities exist for musicians to travel nationally and internationally. Recent trips include Malaysia, Japan, Gallipoli, Iraq, Bougainville, East Timor, Solomon Islands, England and the National Army in Concert tour in 2006 which played in every captial city within Australia.
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| Legacy's National Army in Concert (Perth) 2006 |
Am I a full time musician?
An Army musician is a full time soldier, who performs as a professional musician in a military band. As a soldier, you are required to undertake all military training required for initial recruit training, as well as ongoing training and maintenance of military skills.
There are also opportunites to join the Army Reserve as a part-time musician. Alternatively, flexibility exists to transfer between full-time (Regular Army) and part-time (Army Reserve) bands and vice versa.
What about fitness?
The minimum level of fitness for entry into the Army is:
Males:
Pushups 15
Situps 45
Shuttle run level 7.5
Females:
Pushups 8
Situps 45
Shuttle run level 7.5
Click here
to find out more.
Can I continue study while in the Army?
Yes. Provided that the study discipline is beneficial to the Army, the Army can provide up to 75% of the cost of study in addition to time off work to attend lectures and exams.
So what next?
Now that you've been considered suitable as a musician and soldier, you will undertake basic soldier training at Wagga Wagga, NSW, for 13 weeks (or 28 days for people wanting to join part-time). Then you will undertake training at the DFSM as previously mentioned and then posted to a band where you will begin your career as professional musician in the Australian Army.
'A musician in the Australian Army, A real career....an unreal job"