Fifes And Drums of America
A Little History
The use of music to relay commands, or pass calls, in the military dates back
thousands of years. The drum itself is considered by many to be one of the oldest, if
not the oldest instrument invented by man. Although, the flute is another extremely
ancient instrument, the fife did not become popular until the early 1500s. Once it
was invented, however, it didn't take long before nearly every army in Europe began
to use it because of its very shrill sound.
During the American Revolution, fifes began to become very popular in
America, and it wasn't long until the Continental Army adopted the fife to
accompany the drum. Over the years, fifes and drums became more and more
popular, and manufacturers began to produce fifes domestically, rather than
buy them from overseas. Unfortunately, due to the popularity of the bugle
during the Civil War, fifes and drums began to become obsolete. The Civil War
was the last war that fifes and drums would be used as signal instruments by
the United States Army; however, they were still used during World War I.
Although, the military completely banned their use shortly before World War II,
a corps, the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps was formed in 1960 by George Carroll
in the 3rd US Infantry to perform for the President and many other special
occasions.
However, despite the military's lack of interest in fifes and drums
after the Civil War, the civilian world gained enormous interest. After the
Civil War, many veteran musicians organized local corps in their
neighborhoods, and by the late 1800s and early 1900s, fife and drum
corps were becoming very popular to see. A place where these corps really
took root is in New England, especially Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Today, the American style of fife and drum has spread as far as California,
Florida, Michigan, and many, many states in between. An amazingly strong
connection has also been made through fife and drum between the United
States and Switzerland.
If you would like, click on a link below for a more detailed
history.