WARRANT OFFICER 1 BANDMASTER
G R MARTIN BA LRSM DipMus(Open) RM
Bandmaster of the Band of HM Royal Marines
Britannia Royal Naval College
Gavin Richard Martin was born in Croydon, Surrey, on the 9th of
April 1964. He comes from a musical background where both his parents
were choristers and his younger brother, a gifted sportsman.
At the age of seven, the Martin family moved to High Wycombe, Bucks
where he started pianoforte and trumpet lessons both in jazz and
classical. It was at this time that Gavin joined the Sea Cadets
and consequently gained the appetite for service life and joining
the Royal Marines Band Service. After passing all grades in pianoforte
and Grade 6 on trumpet, Gavin joined the Royal Marines School of
Music in 1980.
After finishing his training with the award for best all round
musician, he was drafted to the RM Band based in Scotland where
he spent three years. During this period, Gavin played piano for
a local operatic society and met his future wife, Fiona.
The next seven-year period was spent at the RM Band based at Lympstone
in Devon. Here he passed both his Corporal and Sergeant Courses
and was married to Fiona. Shortly afterwards, Gavin and Fiona became
a family with the birth of two daughters.
In 1994 he completed the 12 month Bandmasters’ class and was awarded
the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians with his
LRSM Diploma, presented by Sir Vivian Dunn KCVO OBE FRAM Royal Marines.
The following two and a half years were spent back in the Scotland
Band as a Colour Sergeant, where he led the Big Band, Dance Band
and was the Academic Instructor.
Here, he learned of his draft and promotion in early 1997 to Bandmaster,
to join the Plymouth Band and spent his first six months on HMS
Illustrious. This was with an element of the Plymouth Band, for
the multi-national exercise Ocean Wave. The ship travelled through
the Mediterranean and Suez Canal to the Middle East and eventually,
Western Australia. During this period the band was privileged to
perform for the closing ceremony in Hong Kong, alongside The Royal
Yacht Band.
In September 1999, he successfully passed the RSMs' selection board
and was promoted to WO1(B) from May 2000. This came cap in hand
with a nostalgic two year appointment as the Bandmaster of the CTCRM
Band in Devon.
On the eighth of April 2002 Gavin was appointed as Bandmaster Training,
at the Royal Marines School of Music in Portsmouth, this was a challenging
but rewarding 22-month experience. The car then became unemployed
for the next two years with a welcome return home to the Plymouth
Band. His current draft to the Britannia Royal Naval College will
mean that he has served in all the RM Bands around the country during
his 26 years of service so far.
Gavin hopes to return to the Plymouth Band for his last 18 months
with a view to qualifying for a PGCE to teach music in the local
area when leaving the RM Band Service in 2009. He is a keen sportsman
and particularly enjoys running, water-skiing, course fishing, walking
and golf when possible. He lives in Torpoint, Cornwall, with his
wife Fiona and two daughters, Natasha and Cody.
Warrant Officer Martin on the Fanfare Trumpet during the Hong Kong
closure ceremony
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to download a higher resolution image of WO1 Martin
Last updated 10 Jan 2006
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