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The following information was taken from the DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY - NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER web page on frequently asked questions.
In 1812 the American frigate United States acquired an eight-piece band of French-Italian musicians who had enlisted aboard a French ship, but were captured by the Portuguese and taken to Lisbon. Here they signed on the British warship Macedonian which was captured by the Americans. The band ended up playing on the decks of the famous ship United States. Later, many ships, such as the warship Cyane, organized various types of musical units as early as 1820. The crew of Constitution formed a 20-piece band in 1825. By 1827 this unit became the first known Navy band to be formally shipped aboard an American warship. William Raymond enlisted as a Musician in 1820 at Norfolk, Virginia and received 10 dollars a month for his efforts. Musician James F. Draper signed aboard the frigate Brandywine in July 1825, and had the notation "$10 a month" entered next to his name in the ship's log. On 31 August 1826, John Page had his rating changed from Seaman to Master of the Band, and in September Ordinary Seaman William Tuton became a Musician, both aboard Constellation. Navy bandsmen were first recognized officially in 1838, when the pay tables of the Navy Register listed the grades of Bandmaster, First and Second Class Musicians. The number of Navy bands fluctuated but gradually increased in succeeding years through the Civil War until the turn of the century, although it appears that no particular method of procurement or training of musicians was practiced. The first of a series of fleet musician schools
was established in 1903 at St. Helena, Virginia in an effort to improve the
training and performance of bands in the Navy. In 1935 Lt. Charles Benter,
Leader of the Navy Band, Washington, D.C., established a Band School. In 1941
the school was detached from the Navy Band, and became the United States Navy
School of Music with Boatswain (later Lieutenant) James Thurmond as the first
officer in charge. The Navy School of Music was located in
the Washington Navy Yard until early 1943 when it moved across the Anacostia
River. It then remained at the Naval Receiving
Station, Anacostia, Maryland until 1964 when the school was redesignated
as the School of Music, with a Commanding Officer, and moved to its present
quarters on the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Norfolk, Virginia. The
School of Music is now a multi-service command which provides training for Army,
Navy and Marine Corps Musicians. Today some 14 bands and 1000 enlisted and
officer musician personnel serve in the Navy throughout the world. MUSICIAN RATING HISTORY
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY - NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
Page last modified: 05/07/2007 |
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