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.

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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.

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