An instructor teaches her students to perform. [Photo/www.81.cn]

Handpicked members

"Members of the PLA Chorus are all students from affiliated schools of the Chinese PLA General Armament Department, the Navy and the Air Force. Their average age is only 21 years old," said Yu Hai, who heads the chorus.

According to Yu, 7,000 candidates were selected from more than 20,000 students at seven affiliated schools, and the final 1,200 were handpicked by experts. Members may not have received professional musical training previously, but all possess great patriotism, good cultural knowledge, and were eager to learn.

This is the fifteenth time the Military Band of the PLA will perform at a military parade. Female performers will join in for the first time this year.

Zhang Haifang, a sergeant from an Air Force equipment warehouse, was there during the military parade on the National Holiday in 2009 as an officer of miscellaneous affairs. Zhang said he was mesmerized by the magic of military music, and though he had no previous training, decided to start from scratch as a performer. Zhang will join this year's parade again, but this time, as a member of the band.