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A MUSICAL VOYAGE - Royal Australian Navy

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- 10 -<br />

The story in this report is told through the six following chapters: Ashore and Afloat; Major<br />

Business Proposals; Essays and Speeches; Selected Articles from RAN Band News; Music<br />

Programmes: Benchmark Concerts; and Recordings.<br />

Ashore and Afloat is a short narrative on the history of the band; including its more recent<br />

achievements. Getting the musicians back to sea was one of the most difficult challenges<br />

faced early in my tenure. It was a challenge that required a unified approach to carefully<br />

balance the tasks ashore with the obligation of sea at service, and it would not have been<br />

possible without operational authority being vested in the Director of Music along with the<br />

support of permanent detachment Band Officers who had to manage the disruption this<br />

policy shift caused to their local activities. It also required re-educating the musicians<br />

about their obligations for sea service after such a lengthy period of absence afloat.<br />

During my period at the helm, elements of the band embarked in Major Fleet Units on 21<br />

separate occasions and more recently, musicians supported two rotations of the Transit<br />

Security Element (OPERATION RESOLUTE). This has been an outstandingly productive and<br />

highly visible level of output in direct support of the Fleet, and has significantly<br />

contributed to building the band’s reputation within <strong>Navy</strong>.<br />

Another opportunity that needed to be carefully nurtured was the band’s support to the<br />

Forces Advisory Council on Entertainment (FACE). The band’s partnership with FACE<br />

resulted in large band elements being Force Assigned to either OPERATION SLIPPER or<br />

OPERATION CATALYST on three separate occasions (2003, 2005 and 2008). Smaller elements<br />

were Force Assigned to both of these operations on three additional occasions (2003, 2004<br />

and 2010). Fifty two of <strong>Navy</strong>’s musicians have been awarded the <strong>Australian</strong> Active Service<br />

Medal with four more musicians deploying to Afghanistan in the coming months, and twelve<br />

musicians have been awarded the Iraq Campaign Medal. The relationship with FACE<br />

produced many other opportunities; including large elements being Forced Assigned to<br />

OPERATION ANODE (2005 and 2007) with smaller technical teams supporting entertainment<br />

tours to the Sinai (OPERATION MAZURKA), East Timor (OPERATION RESOLUTE) and the<br />

Solomon Islands (OPERATION ANODE).<br />

Separate to these FACE deployments, detachments deployed to the Turkey for the annual<br />

Gallipoli Pilgrimages in 2004, 2007 and 2010—during my tenure, 48 musicians benefitted<br />

from this opportunity.<br />

Additionally, the band deployed major units to Brunei for the 60 th Birthday Celebrations for<br />

the Sultan in 2006 and again in 2011 for the 50 th Birthday Celebrations for the <strong>Royal</strong> Brunei<br />

Armed Forces. Large contingents deployed to Tonga for the Coronation of King Tupou V in<br />

2008, to Abu Dhabi for the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in 2011, and to<br />

China for the Nanchang International Tattoo in 2011. As I prepare to depart my duties,<br />

Decision Briefs have been submitted to Chief of <strong>Navy</strong> seeking to deploy a 30-piece ensemble<br />

to the east coast of America (New Orleans, Washington and New York) and Honolulu from<br />

April to May 2012 and a 50-piece ensemble to the Hong Kong International Tattoo in June<br />

2012.<br />

This rate of output on the international arena and afloat achieved very impressive results;<br />

even though it was quite disrupting to normal activities. Thanks to the support of local<br />

Band Officers, who understood to need for the change of direction, along with careful<br />

organisational planning there was no loss to capability and output at home. The band’s<br />

detachments still managed to meet their normal military commitments and to support<br />

many hundreds of tasks around Australia each year.<br />

Major Business Proposals gives an account of the level of administrative detail, planning<br />

and focus required when taking responsibility for the stewardship of a large musical<br />

organisation. Leadership requires the incumbent to be strategically minded, alert to the<br />

broader picture and the way ahead. This section of my report contains a collection of major<br />

business proposals put forward during my tenure, and gives some insight into how the <strong>Navy</strong><br />

Band has been managed.<br />

<strong>Royal</strong> <strong>Australian</strong> <strong>Navy</strong> Band: A Musical Voyage

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