RECRUITING FAQ
"The Band of the 5TH (BC) Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery" is our full name, but we will answer to "5 Field Band" too. We are a unit of the Primary Reserve (PRes) of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), currently consisting of approximately 30 musicians, including paid Reservists and volunteer Associate members. We are primarily a Concert Band, but within the Concert Band are smaller ensembles such as a Parade Band, a Mess Dinner Band, a Brass Quintet, a Woodwind Quintet, a Stage Band, and a Jazz Combo. There are no full-time members of the band, so our members are students, teachers, freelance musicians, civil servants, doctors, nurses, marketing directors, bookkeepers, airline pilots, some former Regular Force musicians, and a few full-time parents, amongst others!
Here is more information about musicians in the Canadian Armed Forces, and specifically about being a Reserve musician.
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In order to maintain the high standard for which we are known, we rehearse one night a week, from September to June. A second night is available for smaller ensembles to rehearse and to take care of the administration required in running the Band.
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Because the Band performs the majority of its own administration, most enrolled members are assigned a secondary duty which may not be musical in nature. Secondary duties include: Administration, Finance, Library, Recruiting, Training, and Supply. If you come in for work a second night per week, your pay will double.
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You will be paid starting on the day you are sworn in to the CAF. All enrolled members of 5 Fd Band are paid twice a month for the work they do, according to their rank or appointment. You will start at the entry-level rank of Private Recruit (Pte(R)), and throughout your career, you will progress through the ranks and your pay will increase with each change of rank and each year of service. The starting pay rate for a Pte(R) is currently $67.80 for a routine rehearsal or concert. If any work period exceeds 6 hours, your pay doubles to $135.60. If you want to think of it in terms of an hourly rate, a Pte(R) makes $22.60 per hour (including PILL, see below) for a three-hour rehearsal or concert. The working rank of the PRes is Corporal (Cpl or Bdr), and senior Cpls are paid $34.77 per hour for a three-hour service (including PILL). In the Musician trade, a Pte who has completed Basic Training and his/her first instrumental qualification is eligible for promotion to Cpl two years after enrolment. Currently, the maximum hourly rate for a 00166 Musician is $52.12 per hour. See also the current chart of pay rates for more rates.
Vacation Pay:
Your pay will include an extra 9% for vacation pay, called Premium In Lieu of Leave (PILL).
Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan:
All reservists have EIC premiums and CPP contributions deducted from their pay and most have tax withheld.
Reserve Force Pension Plan (RFPP):
You will contribute to the Reserve Force Pension Plan with every paycheque.
Other Compensation and Benefits:
Travel, Meal and Lodging Allowances and Per Diems:
Canadian Forces Severance Pay (CFSP):
Like many civilian organizations, the CAF offers severance pay. Currently, a lump-sum payment is available to those PRes members in the amount of seven days' pay for each year or partial year of service, up to a maximum of 30 years (i.e. 210 days pay for a member with thirty years of service.) This could be a payment of over $60,000!
You'll play in full band rehearsals at least one night per week, for the school year. With engagements and other training (small ensembles, administration, first aid, driving courses and other optional courses), that could amount to about 55 (fifty-five) half days per year, or about $480 per month (before deductions), on average, for a senior Corporal.
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No. Once you are enrolled, you decide when you want to leave. There is no minimum time required for you to serve, and the compulsory retirement age is 60. If you just need a break, you can apply for a leave of absence with no penalty. You can also transfer to other bands in Canada if you move for work or studies, as there are bands in almost every province in the country.
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As a PRes Musician, you will not be ordered to an operational theatre without your consent as a willing volunteer. The Musician trade (00166) is considered one of the non-combat trades and maintains a very basic level of combat preparedness. After your Basic Training, further combat training may consist of a day on the rifle range or a day of classroom instruction, but it is rare, if not unheard of, that PRes Musicians are asked to volunteer for an operational combat role. Because one of the other roles of the Primary Reserve is that of "aid to the civil power", members may be offered opportunities to support such local emergencies as search-and-rescue after an earthquake, fighting wildfires, or assisting authorities in the event of an icestorm or other natural disaster.
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Yes. All new recruits are required to obtain their Basic Military Qualification (BMQ) to remain in the CAF. BMQ consists of training common to all CAF trades such as military drill, physical fitness, military history, weapons-handling, work on the firing range, fieldcraft, and an overview of administrative procedures in the organization. Generally, the course is held in the summer in Western Canada and lasts about six weeks, or it can be done during the school year on weekends. BMQ is a crucial element of life in the CAF. Its ultimate purpose is to provide guidance and practical experience in being a member of a team and working together well to achieve a goal. This is a valuable asset to have in all aspects your life, not just in the CAF.
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Yes. Part of BMQ will include not only learning and perfecting your rifle drill on the parade square, but you will also spend some time on a live range, learning about, and practicing, the safe operation of the principal weapon of the Canadian Forces, the C7, northern cousin of the American M16. The best part is that Musicians traditionally outperform even the combat trades on the rifle range because of our ability to control our breathing and to concentrate. You might even have the opportunity to throw a grenade!
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Yes. Under a new mandate from Ottawa, the military is obliged to provide you with full-time summer employment (FTSE), if you want it, for the first seven years of your career, from May to August, inclusive. It's not mandatory, but it means that you will not have to look for a summer job for seven years after enrolment. There are many opportunities for summer employment varying from one week to four months in length. Employment could include membership in the Band of the Ceremonial Guard on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, or training at the CF Music Training Centre at CFB Borden near Barrie, Ontario. The Music Training Centre is the national Musician training establishment for Reservists. There, you will undergo training on your instrument (individual and ensemble instruction and assessment), training in Theory, History, Conducting and Arranging, Band Administration and Drum Majoring. The facilities in Borden are state-of-the-art, having opened in the summer of 2002. There are other summer bands that can provide employment like the National Band of the Naval Reserve.
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Yes. In fact, you will be issued several different uniforms. The CAF provides you with two general-purpose uniforms (one for dress, and another for everyday wear), and the Band has two uniforms (one for concerts and one for parades). In general, the CAF will supply you with all the clothing you will require for participation in its activities.
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Yes. The Band can supply you with an instrument. Our membership consists of many professional musicians and students who choose to use their own instruments, but instruments, accessories and supplies are available to those who need them. When you are working under the auspices of the CAF, the CAF will support you fully so that you are able to accomplish your musical goals.
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No. Under a recent revision of the Dress Regulations, military-style haircuts are no longer required. Restrictions were also eased on hair colour and style, tattoos, piercings and other items related to appearance.
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Other trade courses available to you are Drum Major and Band Administration courses. Almost all of the musician courses are offered exclusively during the summer at the CF Music Training Centre at CFB Borden, Ontario, while the Basic Training and Leadership courses may be offered anywhere in Western Canada.
In general, you are required to spend two years at each rank, before you are eligible for promotion, but your pay increases every year.
In addition, there are non-trade-related courses available to you as a Reservist including Standard First Aid and CPR, customized for the CAF by St. John Ambulance, and a course in Light Urban Search and Rescue (LUSAR). Given that Reservists can be called out in aid to the civil power, LUSAR training might be useful. There are also courses in driving military- and civilian-pattern vehicles, including a Safe Driving Course. When you have completed the driving course, you are licensed by the CAF to operate the type if vehicle on which you have trained and qualified. This can come in handy when the band or Regiment travels and needs a driver. Also, as part of your BMQ and annually, thereafter, you will attend lectures about harrassment, diversity and inclusion, ethics and other important subjects. The DND maintains a VERY STRICT zero-tolerance policy on these topics, so your training will be invaluable to you in all aspects of your life.
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Depending on how prepared you are in gathering the required documentation, your personal history, and your level of physical fitness, enrolment can happen in as little as two months. While you are in the process, you are welcome and encouraged to play with the band in rehearsal and concert, but you cannot be paid for these services. Once you are sworn in to the CAF, you will start being paid.
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In addition to completing the Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (the CFAT), personal history, and a medical exam, you will be tested on your level of physical fitness by undergoing the FORCE Evaluation. This is an assessment of your ability to carry out acts of physical strength and endurance which are relevant to our duties as soldiers in the field. The "FORCE" in FORCE Evaluation stands for "Fitness for Operational Requirements of CAF Employment". The evaluation consists of four events: 20m Rushes, Sandbag Lift, Intermittent Loaded Shuttles, and the Sandbag Drag. There is a requirement of every member of the CAF to pass this evaluation once per year.
There are many trades available to you as a Reservist in the CAF. If you find that belonging to a top-notch professional military band is not your thing, you can apply to "remuster", or change trades. Depending on the trade you choose, you may be required to attend training at another location in Victoria, or elsewhere on the Island. Other trades include Artillery, Infantry, Administration/Finance, Medical, Communications, Security, Cook, Steward, Engineer, Vehicle Technician, Weapons Technician, and more. You may even feel that the Army is not where you want to be, but that the Air Force or Navy offer a trade that appeals to you. In that case you would be applying for a transfer of element. You will find lots of information on the different trades at your local CAF Recruiting Centre, or by checking out the Careers page.
If you are moving away from Victoria to work or study, you may be able to transfer to another Reserve Band in that city, if there is a vacancy. There are many other Brass/Reed bands in Canada from Vancouver to St. John's, NL. Toronto has several bands! Having the ability to transfer to another band is a great way to get a head start in a new city. You will have a part-time job before you even arrive! Go here to see a list of all the Regular and Reserve Force bands in Canada.
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The required playing standard is fairly high for enrolment in 5 Fd Band in order to maintain our professional standard. You should have had several years of private study and a few years of concert band or orchestral experience under your belt. This is because you will not only need to be proficient on your instrument, but you will need to know how to integrate yourself into an instrumental section musically and socially. In terms of Royal Conservatory levels, you should be playing at or above a Grade 6, with or without the actual certificate. Of course, your knowledge of basic theory should be solid, too. We are particularly interested in senior high school students intending to study music at univeristy or college here in Victoria, and current university or college students in a post-secondary degree or diploma programme in Victoria. Students studying outside the greater Victoria area may also be considered for enrolment, under the proviso that they are prepared to travel to Victoria weekly.
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You can enroll at age 17, or you can be enrolled at the age of 16 with the consent of a parent or guardian. You must be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident, and have completed Grade 10. You will also be required to pass an audition, which we can record for you in our Bandroom. Call 250-363-8272 if you would like to speak with someone about membership in the Band. See Auditioning for more information on our auditions.
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