DMA student Sara Corry prepares to rappel off a wall during basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Photo courtesy basictraining.com
Waking up at 3:30 a.m., rappelling off a 60-foot wall and learning how to use a gas mask aren鈥檛 part and parcel of most post-music-school gigs. But then again, neither is the chance to work day-to-day with one of the top ensembles in the country.
For Sara Corry, though, it鈥檚 all just another day in the life.
鈥淚鈥檓 getting in shape, and I get to sit down at my desk every day and write music. It鈥檚 pretty cool.鈥�
Corry, who is in her final year of her doctoral degree in composition at the College of Music, is working full time as a staff arranger for the Army in Washington, D.C. She鈥檚 one of three arrangers working with
Though she鈥檚 a musician by training, the newly minted staff sergeant says it wasn鈥檛 a stretch to see herself in the military.
鈥淚 had military in my family鈥擜ir Force and Marines on both sides. So I鈥檝e always wondered if I could make it through basic training.鈥�
The California native says the unique opportunity to march in her grandfathers鈥� footsteps was part good timing and part good training. She came across the opening on the American Composers Forum job board and applied as part of a class project in a course taught by Dean Emeritus Daniel Sher.
鈥淭he course was called Teaching in Higher Education, and for one of the projects we had to apply for a job. I saw this posting and, with Dean Sher鈥檚 help, put together a separate application from the one I use for academic positions. These kinds of positions don鈥檛 come up very often, so it was the right time to be looking.鈥�
It was after she landed the gig that Corry says the real work began. She started 10 weeks of basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, last fall鈥攁 whole new world for a musician.
鈥淏asic was really tough. I had to learn to tie a harness and fire a gun; I ran and marched a lot. Each member of my platoon had to dig a 鈥榝ox hole鈥� and spend four days down there, with smoke grenades and blanks flying. It was a great experience to go through.
鈥淚 also got to meet a lot of different people. Every active duty soldier goes through basic, so I was there with 17- or 18-year-olds who were going into combat roles.鈥�
Staff Sergeant Sara Corry (far left) poses with other Army arrangers. Photo courtesy Pentagram Military Newspaper / Francis Chung
After completing training, Corry set up shop at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, where she dove right into her training as an Army arranger for the band鈥檚 annual holiday performances at historic . 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the bigger events that we arrange for,鈥� she explains. 鈥淏ut we also write for Twilight Tattoo and many outreach programs. 听
鈥淏asically any piece the band is going to need, they come to the arrangers and they tell us what they want to play鈥攁nd we figure out how to do it. We cover everything from instrumentation to adapting for outdoor venues.鈥�
Even though basic training is over, Corry says there鈥檚 still plenty to remind her that she鈥檚 a soldier first.
鈥淓very day, we鈥檙e doing some kind of physical activity and training,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t is much more relaxed鈥攖here鈥檚 no one telling you to drop and give them 428 pushups, which was my drill sergeant鈥檚 favorite number鈥攂ut there鈥檚 still that military aspect to everything.鈥�
And there still are those reminders of just how lucky she is, as a musician, to be in the position she鈥檚 in.
鈥淚鈥檓 working with some of the best musicians in the country鈥攁nd they鈥檙e very involved in the community as a way to make the military more accessible. Right now, I鈥檓 arranging for , which performs at the White House and for other notable military and government functions.
鈥淔or me, this position is the best of both worlds. I am kind of an outdoorsy musician, I like skiing and being active, so the Army is a surprisingly good fit for me.鈥�
Though she鈥檚 on active duty in Arlington, Corry hopes to finish her doctoral studies next fall.
