The celebrated US Navy Band of Washington, D.C., the US Naval Academy Band at Annapolis, Maryland and the bands from the Navy School of Music have covered all points of the globe, bringing their concerts of military and dance music to service personnel and to the general public. 

The US Navy Band was formed by the Navy Department in 1918 with an instrumentation of 18 men.  This band, now a world famous musical organization of ninety, is noted for its fine musicianship and is accepted by the musical public as one of the greatest bands in the world. At the turn of the century the Navy Band is made up of several outstanding musical organizations: Concert/Ceremonial Band - Commodores Jazz Ensemble - Country Current Country-Bluegrass Group - Sea Chanters Chorus and Cruisers Rock Ensemble.

The Navy School of Music was organized and opened in Washington, D.C. in June of 1935,  as a permanent school for the fostering advancement of a higher standard of music and to assure an adequate system by which musicians could be rotated in their duties.  The Curriculum, text books and methods that have been used in the school were comparable to those of the more prominent music conservatories.  A typical day at the school of music was rigorous with sectional rehearsals starting at 0800 followed by Harmony classes, then concert band and dance orchestra rehearsals.  After lunch was Music Appreciation class, then Ensemble rehearsals followed by Ear Training and finally, Private Lessons on at least two instruments. Today, what was the Navy School of Music is now part of the US Armed Forces Music School in Virginia. 

All of the Jersey Cats were graduates of the year long Navy School of Music.  Each of us were sent to Washington, D.C. at government expenses to audition for the right of attending the school prior to entering the Navy.  If the audition was successful, we were sent to Great Lakes Naval Training Center for boot camp training in all phases of Navy life.  Upon completion of boot camp we were transferred to Washington, D.C. to begin life at the Navy School of Music.  Just prior to graduation we were formed into a Unit Band for assignment somewhere in the world whether at sea or on shore duty.  In our case, we became Unit Band 175 assigned to the Battleship USS New Jersey in Brooklyn Navy Yard, where she had just been recommissioned for engagement in the Korean War.