Musical Offerings ⦁ 2025 ⦁ Volume 16 ⦁ Number 1 31 daily routines.25 Without them, directing orders would be considerably more difficult. The reveille was used to wake up the soldiers, the retreat was used at sunset for roll call, and the tattoo was a sign that the soldiers return to their tents where they would stay until reveille at sunrise.26 Drum signals and other music provided a unique form of organization, making music a crucial part in the military. Music ties the military together in many ways and has become a staple for special events such as ceremonies, marching, and parades. Customarily, music has served a purpose within the military for both practical uses and for entertainment. The Continental Army during the American Revolution was filled with music and musicians. This military music was influenced by the combination of Britain’s military, the early colonial military, and the musical environment of the colonies.27 The early colonial militia incorporated music into their structure. This was due to the large influence that European military traditions had on Colonial America. Music was valued and incorporated in European military organizations and the colonists took advantage of this idea.28 It was as early as 1633 that the colonists in Virginia employed drummers in their militia, paying them with “one thousand pounds of tobacco and six barrels of corn per year for their services.”29 Early American colonists relied on men from Europe who had prior military experience to help with defense. By 1766, it was apparent that Americans were aware of and heavily interested in British and European news and fashions, especially relating to the military.30 Camus stated that “the appearance of British bands in the colonies did much to stimulate the already blooming musical environment and served as an important tradition contributing to the development of indigenous bands of music.”31 25 Camus, 4. 26 Camus, 90–94. 27 Camus, 40. 28 Camus, 40. 29 Camus, 40. 30 Camus, 44. 31 Camus, 44.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM4ODY=