3rd Field Artillery Regiment Band host drop-in practice in Saint John
Those walking past the Barrack Green Armoury in Saint John’s south end Saturday would’ve been drawn inside by the sound of music.
That music was courtesy of the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment Band who held an open house Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to offer the public a chance to see, and hear their work up close.
“The public doesn’t always get to see what we do as military musicians,” says Bombardier Ashley Robinson, who is a drum major in the band.
“Whether it be playing a mess dinner, it could be a parade in town where they might get to hear us come down the street, but the general public wouldn’t normally get to come and experience what we do here. We play concerts, we play different venues throughout the year so it’s really good to bring people into our house to see what we do so when we are in their house they are saying I remember those guys.”
The band practices once a week out of the armoury and tries to do as many gigs as possible throughout the year to spread their music. Robinson says they aim to do at least four major concerts a year, on top of the various parades sprinkled throughout the calendar.
The 3rd Field Artillery Regiment Band practices once a week at the Barrack Green Armoury in Saint John, N.B. (Avery MacRae/CTV Atlantic)
The music played by the band isn’t just your typical army marching tunes. The band also mixes in some classic songs like Michael Jackson, “Jump in the Line”, and familiar tunes from classic cartoons.
“People relate to that,” says Robinson. “And when they relate to that they relate to what we do as a band and in turn they think okay, the pride of the military could be the band.”
The open house also served as a way to help recruit more people into the regiment for both military and band purposes. Those interested and are somewhat skilled in brass, reed, or percussion instruments can contact the recruiting office at the armoury.
Robinson notes joining the band can lead to a number of interested and memorable opportunities, and even get the chance to meet high ranking officials.
“We have performed for every member of the royal family,” Robinson points out. “Just last year we performed from Princess Anne in Sussex and Moncton, we have performed for the queen, and Prince Charles before he became the king. It’s a lot of opportunities playing in this to meet some high brass.”
The event was the final public gathering hosted by the military as part of the Canadian Army Reserve Job Fair 2024, which saw various recruitment events take place across the country.
For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Scheffler detained by police at PGA Championship for not following orders after traffic fatality
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was detained by police Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was led to a police car. ESPN reported he failed to follow police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.
Ontario sees first measles death in more than a decade after young child dies
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires are dampening against cool, rainy weather, but there's plenty left to contain
An opportune system of cool, wet weather Friday is dampening the spread of wildfires across Western Canada, but there's still plenty of work for responders and residents alike.
Jessica Biel hopes to normalize the conversation around menstruation with a new children's book
Jessica Biel is the author of a new children’s book focused on destigmatizing and normalizing the conversation around menstruation.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.