Master of Your Craft: Musicians

When I was eight years old, I watched military musicians perform for the first time. That's when I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. But back then, I didn't quite realise the scale of it. And it turns out that the Army pay more musicians than anywhere else in the UK. People are always surprised when I talk about my job, because there are so many opportunities. I get paid to travel to all kinds of places to do what I love, to perform. In the Army, they look for potential. You need to have a good level of musicianship when you join, but the possibilities are limitless. One day, I'll come to work and play for a small dinner night in the officer's mess. And then the next day, I could be performing in front of royalty, or even filming a British movie or TV series. But we're learned to adapt. Some ensembles are large, some are small. Some events are heavily charged, while others are a celebration. We're taught the skills to perform for whatever the job throws our way. And we're encouraged to explore, to earn diplomas, to join bands outside of the Army and play creatively to fuel our passion for our instruments. Some people even learn how to conduct and become bandmasters or directors of music. And we do all that while staying on top of our Army training. There's no other role in the Army like this. You've got to be determined. You've got to be disciplined. There's a reason why they say practice makes perfect. It's about pushing yourself and striving for better. And you gain unique skills. You get to travel the world and play in front of thousands of people at some pretty big events as well. If you want to be a performing musician, you can't beat this. We don't just play music. We master our craft.