Royal Air Force Music Services currently has vacancies for the following instrumentalists:

Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Bassoon, French Horn, Trumpet/Cornet, Euphonium, Tuba and Percussion.

To join the Royal Air Force as a musician you will need to have a minimum playing standard of ABRSM Grade 8. Entry is by audition based upon the format of the Grade 8 examination. Entry level is also determined at that audition; either part-qualified (the minimum standard acceptable), or qualified (typically at college graduate standard). The respective starting salaries upon completion of training are: £18,341 for part-qualified, £24,075 for qualified. This is based purely on the quality of performance at the audition.

If you enter as a part-qualified musician, you should expect to spend a minimum of three months in our training cell. Having successfully completed this period of familiarization training at Headquarters Music Services (HQMS) you will qualify as a musician, whereby you will be posted to one of the bands and move to a higher pay scale. If qualified, you should expect to spend about a month at HQMS prior to being posted to a band, with the rank of senior aircraftman/woman (SAC).

The minimum contract is for nine years, but notice can be given, subject to a qualifying period of service. Full details are available from the Armed Forces Careers Offices (AFCO)

There is an upper age limit of 39 years. In addition, to be eligible to serve in the British Armed Forces you need to be either: a citizen of the United Kingdom; a citizen of the Republic of Ireland; or a country that, at the time of your birth, was a member of the Commonwealth; or you must hold dual British Nationality. Additionally, you must also have been resident in the United Kingdom for the five years immediately preceding your application, although a residency waiver can sometimes be obtained in certain exceptional circumstances.

The process for joining is initiated through the RAF Careers Aplication Zone (0845 605 5555). Once initial contact is made there is a presentation, an interview, a medical and a fitness test that must all be passed before any formal musical audition can take place. However, anyone interested in pursuing a career as a musician in the Royal Air Force is welcome to come and visit Headquarters Music Services at Royal Air Force Northolt, to meet and play with the Central Band of the Royal Air Force.

The audition is normally undertaken over a period of one and a half to two days. The first day comprises a session playing with the Central Band and a session playing with a smaller ensemble. There is also a basic music theory and harmony test which is not part of the formal audition, but which enables our training cell to evaluate the level of previous study undertaken and therefore determine possible future training costs. The audition itself is based upon the ABRSM Grade 8 examination. You will be expected to play two contrasting pieces, scales and arpeggios, sight reading and a short aural test. Accommodation will be provided at RAF Northolt. Rail travel warrants will be provided by the AFCO. Should you be successful at the audition, entry will then be subject to both your availability and the availability of places on the basic training course at Royal Air Force Halton. Typically, this process should be completed in approximately three to five months from the initial contact with the Armed Forces Careers Office.

Recruit training is nine weeks long and takes place at Royal Air Force Halton in Buckinghamshire. The course is designed to help you adjust to a military environment. As well as fitness and military training, you will also learn about the Royal Air Force lifestyle. Details of the course content are available from the AFCOs. Please note that there is no musical content within this period of basic recruit training.

As a musician in the Royal Air Force you will have excellent opportunities for personal development and strong career prospects, together with the chance to experience travelling and performing worldwide. All Royal Air Force musicians are eligible to participate in the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) training programme, which offers a modular system comprising instrumental tuition, conducting, musical theory and composition, culminating in an LRSM diploma or BMus degree. Additionally, there is funding available for other areas of personal development, for example, working towards NVQs or study with the Open University.

Your career will offer a rewarding and varied musical experience, with opportunities to play in a huge range of ensembles and styles. Apart from the main military band, each band comprises many smaller groups, such as dance bands, chamber groups, woodwind and brass ensembles, jazz ensembles and much more. There is also an enormous variety of engagements to undertake, ranging from State Ceremonial occasions to Royal Air Force graduation parades, the Edinburgh Tattoo or a dinner for the Queen at Windsor Castle.

You will be posted to one of the three established bands: The Central Band of the Royal Air Force, at Royal Air Force Northolt; or The Band of the Royal Air Force College, at Royal Air Force Cranwell (Lincolnshire); or The Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment, also at Royal Air Force Cranwell. All of our musicians, whether woodwind, brass, percussion or string players, learn band drill, as well as the wind band repertoire. Additionally, you will also have an 'operational role', which traditionally has been assisting with the provision of medical support in times of crisis and war. There is also a requirement to provide support to the Station Guard Force several times throughout the year.

Within your first year you will probably experience an overseas visit with a band for anything from a few days to a few weeks. There are regular overseas tours, including Cyprus, the Falkland Islands and mainland Europe. You will provide musical support for personnel stationed overseas, or possibly go on a small group tour to support UK troops on operations. All personnel are also usually required to participate in one of the major concert tours around the UK each year.

For further information, or to arrange a visit to a band at either Royal Air Force Northolt or Royal Air Force Cranwell, please contact Flight Sergeant Paul Craggs at Headquarters Music Services, Royal Air Force Northolt, West End Road, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 6NG. Tel. 020 8833 8289 or send an email

Additional recruitment information is also available from the RAF Careers website.