Final answer:
Wait band musicians not only played music but also engaged in creating city guides, painting murals, and participating in theater troops. Their role extended to contributing to social gatherings, reading aloud, and community singing, fostering a sense of communal identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
In addition to performing music, wait band musicians were expected to engage in various activities during civic festivities. They would sometimes construct city guides, paint murals, and perform in theater troops, providing entertainment across the country. These musicians played an integral role in the communal and cultural life of their communities, often participating in events that were central to public leisure and festive culture. Furthermore, they could be seen as part of the entertainment in taverns and public spaces where alcohol was consumed, indicating that such performances were a mode of escape from the harshness of everyday life for the working class. Musicians in these settings acted as the backdrop to social gatherings, where reading aloud or communal singing of popular wartime songs, like "It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary," occurred, fostering a sense of community and shared experience.