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The Fifes & Drums of the Old Barracks

The Fifes and Drums of the Old Barracks are looking for new recruits! All able-bodied young men of middle or high school age are encouraged to join our ranks. Though encouraged, no prior musical experience is necessary.
If you want to be involved in an exciting and unique musical experience, or if you would like to book The Fifes and Drums of The Old Barracks for a performance, email [email protected], or call (609) 396-1776 for more information. 

Video of the 2014 Taptoe Concert by Exit 7A Productions

About the Fifes & Drums of the Old Barracks

The Fifes & Drums of the Old Barracks are a group of musicians who perform late 18th-century music that would have been performed by a military corps of music during the Revolutionary War. Beyond their well-researched repertoire of colonial music, their uniforms are those that would have been worn by the musicians of the 2nd New Jersey Regiment. Four of the eight companies of this regiment were raised at the Trenton barracks in December of 1775. The Fife & Drum Corps made their debut at the Old Barracks Association’s 2004 Capital Ball. Comprised of middle and high school students and professional musicians from the Trenton area, they have been organized and trained under the direction of Stephen Hudak, Andrew Wierzbowski, John Lane, James Fultz, and Timothy Ross.

History of Fife & Drum Corps

During the American Revolution, each company of a regiment provided a fifer and drummer to create a Fife & Drum Corps to represent the entire regiment. The Corps was comprised of 20 musicians, usually boys in their teens. Chief among their duties were the playing of “calls” or “duties”, which are distinctive beatings accompanied by short tunes. A soldier’s entire day was dictated by calls for reveille, assembly, and performing fatigue details. Calls were also used on the battlefield to direct loading weapons, firing, marching, and more. In addition to their signaling duties, musicians adapted many contemporary dance songs for the entertainment of soldiers, officers, and visiting dignitaries. In order to distinguish these critical and unique members of the military, musicians typically wore regimental coats with the reverse color combination worn by their regiment. A regiment with soldiers who wore blue coats with red facings, for example, would field musicians wearing red coats with blue facings.