Music Branch (Canadian Forces)
| Music Branch | |
|---|---|
| Branche de la musique | |
Badge of the Music Branch | |
| Active | 1968–Present |
| Country | Canada |
| Branch | Canadian Forces |
| Type | CF Personnel Branch |
| Part of | Directorate of History and Heritage |
| Headquarters | National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa |
| March | None authorized. |
| Website | "Canadian Forces Music". 11 January 2018. |
| Commanders | |
| Supervisor of Music | Commander Patrice Arsenault |
| Music Branch CWO | Chief Warrant Officer Heidi Twellmann |
| Notable commanders | Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Murray Major Patrick Picard |
The Music Branch is a personnel branch of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). It is primarily composed of band musicians, and also deals with the selection and musical training of its recruits. The branch encompasses all the military bands in service in the Canadian Armed Forces. It is roughly the equivalent to the British Army's Royal Corps of Army Music (CAMUS).
The musicians play in brass/reed and pipes & drums bands. Canadian military bands consist of:
- 6 full-time regular force bands
- 53 part-time reserve force bands
- 15 voluntary bands
The members of these bands come from all over the CF, coming from units in the Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Royal Canadian Navy. The branch controls all RCN and RCAF bands through the Naval Operations Branch and the Air Operations Branch respectively. The music branch as a whole is responsible for fostering morale in the CF and providing musical support for all aspects of military life and for official military ceremonies, including guards of honour for dignitaries.