A Musician’s Service

Fresh Naval recruits groaned with each thrust of their rhythmic, aching bodies, chanting through a humid glaze of sweat, lurching themselves from the muddy earth in labored repetitions. A forceful “Up” from the Recruit Division Commander (RDC) beckoned another round of push-ups.

            “How many stripes does Captain Crunch have on his arm, you ugly fuck!?” demanded the RDC.

            “C-Captain Crunch isn’t real, sir!” a naïve recruit, Kent Grover, stuttered, jerking himself through another rep.

            “I don’t give a flying fuck if he’s real or not,” the RDC bellowed in anger. “How many stripes does Captain Crunch have on his Goddamn arm!?”

            “Captains have four stripes, sir!”

            For anyone first joining the military, the physical and psychological warfare can be too much to handle. For a fresh Idaho musician like Grover, such beratement was a culture shock.

​“You’re in for a rude awakening when you join the Navy Band,” says Debby Crandall, former Navy secretary and widow of a Navy Band member. “Some thought they’d have it easy when they enlisted just because they’d get to play music, but they’re in the same boat as everyone else when they sign up.”       

            The eight weeks of boot camp test the vigor of those who enlist in Uncle Sam’s military. Anyone from a grunt to a Navy SEAL must undergo the grueling experience, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or professional specialty. Musicians like Grover, 27, are no exception.

            “I’m gonna’ get paid to play the saxophone,” he told himself. “Six more weeks and I’m done.”

            Among 8,000 soldiers at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, Grover, who is from Idaho Falls, chose to commit his career to the United States Navy by playing music rather than aiming a gun.

            Since 2014, he’s found himself as a saxophone musician in the Navy Band, a position obtained through extensive knowledge, skill and dedication to one’s instrument. Qualifying requires perseverance throughout the arduous auditioning process.

            After serving a two-year Mormon Mission in New York, he attended Brigham Young University Idaho (BYUI) to continue his pursuit of music. His Bachelor’s in Music and Performance soon led to a Master’s of Music from BYU in Provo, Utah.

            Grover was happily married to his wife, Melissa, and had two young daughters, Charlotte and Emma. A budding future with his newly-earned master’s degree awaited with the potential for teaching opportunities at universities. Joining the military wasn’t high on his list of musical expectations.

            “Kent needed something serious to help sustain our family, especially with all the loans he’d accumulated,” says Melissa. “We considered teaching options all over the country, but he didn’t want to hang up performing for good.”

             The Navy Band consists of 172 active musicians spread across nine separate fleet bands under the command of Captain Kenneth Collins. Competition for positions in the band is difficult due to recent funding cuts in musical divisions.

            To become a musician for the United States Navy Band, an audition takes place to demonstrate overall ability in performance, advanced sheet music reading on top of playing various musical styles. An assessment from a qualified recruiter is then sent to the Fleet Band Activities headquarters to analyze the capabilities of the performer. If the talent is selected, they’re trained at the Naval School of Music in Virginia Beach.

            “We’ve never enlisted anyone into the Navy Band from this area,” recalled Petty Officer Hillman, a recruitment officer from Boise, Idaho. “It’s rare to find someone with those qualifications who wants to serve their country with music.”

            Grover was accepted into the Naval School of Music, quadrupling his opportunities in an instant. Student loans he’d acquired were paid for, insurance for his family was provided and his salary is ample enough to live comfortably until he honorably retires with full benefits.

            In the meantime, Grover’s at the beck and call of the United States military. He’s subject to deployment, humanitarian missions, parades, international concerts and banquet performances for some of the world’s most prominent leaders.        

            Grover now sails the world spreading positivity, music and relief through his instrumental talent. For the next five months, he will embark to South America on the Continuing Promise mission in Honduras, Guatemala and Colombia providing medical, dental and veterinary services to their citizens. Missions like these are something he can expect for the next 16 years of his military service.

            “When I thought of how I’d end up making a career out of music, I never thought it would be through the Navy,” Grover says. “But now I know it’s the best choice I’ve made in a long time.”