The Naval School of Music was founded in 1935 in response to the poor performance level of the U.S. Navy's bands at that time. The school evolved from an adjunct operation of the U.S. Navy Band into a tri-service institution serving the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps with dedicated facilities, courses for musicians and band leaders, and courses to meet contemporary needs such as arranging, jazz, pop/rock, and sound engineering. Today it serves the Navy and Marine Corps. The military bands for which the Naval School of Music trains its graduates provide direct feedback on the content and quality of its instruction.