Lance Corporal Imogen Barker's family had booked tickets for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo's Brisbane show before discovering she would be trumpeting in the ADF combined military band at the event.
When her father, Musician Bill Barker, found out he would be playing the tuba alongside her, they had even more reason to attend.
A third-generation member of the Army Band's brass section, Lance Corporal Barker joined more than 1100 musicians and dancers from 13 nations performing to her home crowd in what she described as a career highlight.
"I've grown up in a musical family, so it's like a dream to do something as huge as this. And it's not a common thing for a father and daughter to be doing the same job, let alone in the same show - I think that's why it's so special," Lance Corporal Barker said.
"It really is a pinnacle event and to be able to do it in Brisbane, amongst the calibre of international performers like this, it really is an honour."
Lance Corporal Barker joined the Army Reserve Band in 2018, French Horn in hand, straight out of school where she had been bugling the Last Post and Reveille on parades at Albany Creek State High.
'The fact we have the same interest in Army and in music is really special. As a parent, it's such a pleasure to see that she has taken to it and enjoys it. And now she even out-ranks me.'
Her father, Musician Barker, joined the Army Band in 2010 after a long career of performing in community bands and teaching music. His father served in the National Service, and later the 25th Battalion Band in Toowoomba.
"My dad talked it up - as I suppose I have with Imogen - and was always very proud of his service, so it was always something I knew I would do," Musician Barker said.
"The fact we have the same interest in Army and in music is really special. As a parent, it's such a pleasure to see that she has taken to it and enjoys it. And now she even out-ranks me."
Musician Barker said the best part of the job was the cumulative result of each band member's passion and teamwork.
"These are people who have been working at this profession through their whole lives, who have worked in community bands, and gone through auditions. They weren't just created as Army musicians when they went to Kapooka," Musician Barker said.
"People enjoy listening to a band, so imagine being in amongst that and part of it, and creating it and seeing the enjoyment as well - just to see people loving what you're doing and being able to create that.
"The thing is, we'd do it without an audience and we'd still enjoy it because we love what we do."
