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Bands of the US Navy

(Thanks to Kenneth Berger's Band Encyclopedia.)

The first reference to music in the US Navy is found written into the log of the American Frigate "Brandywine" on July 1825 when a James F. Draper was signed aboard as a musician.  Next to his name was the notation "ten dollars a month".  In 1830 the Navy had its first "First Class Musician" rating.  Music from its start in the Navy until about 1838 was of a very informal and disorganized nature, each ship and base having musical units at the discretion of the Commanding officer and sometimes at the expense of the base or its officers.  Even in 1838 the first recognized Navy band numbered only a Bandmaster, four  first class musicians and one second class musician.  The famous Theodore Thomas enlisted as a second class musician in 1849 at the age of 14 and Jean M Missaud joined the band of the USS Sabine in 1867.

        The largest Navy band during WWI was that at Great Lakes Navy Training Station outside of Chicago, directed by John Philip Sousa.  It was this group that was perhaps the inspiration for the founding of the US Navy Band.  However, the Navy Band can be traced back to 1916 when  a band made up of civilians at the Naval Gun factory in Washington, DC  was replaced by a 15 piece band from the USS Kansas.  At the close of that war a group of musicians were attached to the Washington Navy Yard and were reorganized into a band by Charles Benter.  By 1923 this band was increased to 63 musicians and in 1925 was officially designated the US Navy Band by one of the first bills signed by President Herbert Hoover.  In 1941 Charles Brendler (later Commander) was appointed conductor after serving as Clarinetist with the group and its predecessors 1917-1937 and assistant director from 1937.

        The Navy Band numbering 118, appeared in all 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rica, Jamaica, and the Virgin Islands.

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