Rachel Mealey: It’s famously difficult to make a living as a musician, but for a select few, a gig with the Australian Army Band has proven to be a dream job. It’s a role that offers job security, audiences all over the country and a chance to travel the world. But it comes with some unique training requirements, as Lily Nothling reports.
Lily Nothling: Toby Brown didn’t think his career as a drummer would come with weapons training and military fatigues.
Toby Brown: I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be in the Defence Force. I didn’t even know that this job existed, so when I found out that I could play the drums and serve, it was a match made in heaven.
Lily Nothling: As a member of the Australian Army Band, Toby Brown has something many musicians can only dream of, job security.
Toby Brown: It’s very tough to make a living outside of work, essentially, being a freelance musician. So being able to be paid a salary and tour the world playing drums for the Defence Force, yeah, it’s fantastic.
Lily Nothling: But the job demands a little more than most careers in the arts. Toby Brown says band members are required to train as soldiers too.
Toby Brown: One day we can be at the range with weapons and the next day we’re playing music in front of thousands of people. So it’s a bit of a juxtaposition between one part of the Army and kind of what we do on a day-to-day basis.
Music: Someday we’ll all be together once more, what have you planned on last?
Lily Nothling: Rachel Cope also plays percussion.
Rachel Cope: Any instrument that you’ll find in the symphony orchestra is the timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, all the mallet, percussion instruments, all the auxiliary little sound effects, also just drum kit as a whole.
Lily Nothling: After working five different jobs trying to make ends meet, Corporal Cope first signed up as a reservist five years ago.
Rachel Cope: Every unit is different. So I’ve been in a unit that was very much parade work with the embassies and all that kind of stuff. But yeah, we’re about to go to Renmark with our unit and reach out to the community in that way, do a few concert band performances and pop up little gigs.
Lily Nothling: It’s a job that’s taken singer Stuart Fong from sombre memorial services to sporting matches.
Stuart Fong: I sing a lot of anthems, lots of ceremonial roles like that at services and Anzac Day and footy games even. We sing the national anthem of Australia.
Lily Nothling: Corporal Fong appreciates the unpredictability.
Stuart Fong: A couple of years ago, back when northern New South Wales was battling a lot with the floods, we were deployed on flood assist and it was a great experience for us being able to go into a place which was really kind of suffering, play for a couple of hours while everyone just has a chance to unwind and relax after what has been a pretty traumatic period in their days and their life.
Lily Nothling: The band is often sent overseas. Fifty of its members have just flown to Switzerland to perform at the prestigious Basel Tattoo. But it’s unlikely that trip will give the band a chance to play its most requested tune.
Stuart Fong: Everyone’s always screaming for horses and we’re always happy to oblige. It’s a great tune. We play it every time.
Lily Nothling: Trumpeter Dani Rich says it may surprise some, but the Army is a natural home for musicians.
Dani Rich: One is kind of traditionally very restrictive and regimental and one is very creative. I think that’s kind of what’s great about being a musician in the Army though, is that if you think about wider ADF, it’s just a whole bunch of teams working together. In an infantry section you’ve got little teams working together to be part of a bigger group as well and that’s exactly what playing in a musical ensemble is like.
Rachel Mealey: Trumpeter Dani Rich, ending that report by Lily Nothling.