During the recent Drum Corps International World Championships, we caught up with Staff Sgt. John Parks, a member of the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. His fascinating explanation of the role of musicians during the American Revolution help to explain the long history between musicians and marching.
Dan Gosling: I’m gonna come down and try to meet people. Tell me about what you’re wearing, who you’re with, and why you’re here.
Sgt. John Parks: Well, everybody you see here, we are members of the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. We are one of the four premiere bands of the United States Army. We’re all active duty soldiers. So you’ll see fifes, bugles, and one valve bugles, and snare and bass drums that we’re playing today. And some of our members are former DC members. We’re here, we’ve been asked to come. The US Army is one of the sponsors of this event. So we’re here as one of the US Army Bands, supporting what’s going on. So yeah, we’re playing and we’re talking to people