Officer Commanding/Music Director

MAJ Geoff Grey, CSM

Major Geoff Grey was born in Victoria sometime last century and with his education concluding at Ballarat and Clarendon College, he entered the Army Apprentices School and Army School of Music, Balcombe in 1981, graduating from both in 1982. His first posting was to the Band of the 1st Recruit Training Battalion, Kapooka and he enjoyed subsequent instrumental postings to Canberra, Townsville and Adelaide prior to being appointed Bandmaster of the Australian Defence Force Academy, a position he held for five years. During his tenure the Band was awarded a Commandant's Commendation for innovation and exemplary support.

Major Grey accepted commission in 1998 and was posted to the Australian Army Band-Kapooka as Second in Command. In 1999 he was again posted, this time as Officer Commanding/Music Director of the Australian Army Band-Perth and Australian Army Pipes and Drums-Perth. In 2000 Major Grey was posted to the Australian Army Band-Sydney as Second in Command and assumed command of that unit in July 2001. In 2003 the unit was awarded a Chief of Defence Force Unit Commendation for ADF and community endeavours.

During his Sydney tenure Major Grey was additionally appointed as Officer Commanding of the Australian Army Band-Newcastle, accepting responsibility also for the Royal Australian Corps of Transport Pipes and Drums. In 2005 he was the Senior Operations Staff Officer at Defence Music HQ in Melbourne and was appointed to his current position as Officer Commanding and Music Director of the Band of the Royal Military College, Duntroon in January 2006.

Major Grey has toured extensively on clarinet, percussion, trumpet, vocals, blues harp and as a conductor. He has performed at the famous Royal Tournament in London and paraded for the Changing of the Guard at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. More recently he has been deployed as Director/Producer of troop morale shows to Bougainville, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands.

Major Grey was awarded the Conspicuous Service Medal in the 1998 Australia Day Honours List for services to military music, holds a Diploma of Music Management and a Graduate Diploma of Applied Music, and has recently been awarded an ADF first: the Australian Recording Industry Association's Gold Record for his role as Executive Producer and Conductor of the CD project 'Salute to the Aussie Digger'.