Fife and Drum Corps

The Fife and Drum Corps program at the fort runs from February through August each year. Through this program, students age 14 and older have the opportunity to volunteer as musicians and perform in concerts and field shows in the fort, from late May through mid-August. The corps also performs in concerts and parades in the Twin Cities area. Students are trained and led by fort staff with fife and drum experience.

Corps members:

• Learn period duty calls and military music
• Depict one of the earliest military musical units in the state
• Share music history with Historic Fort Snelling visitors
• Perform at historic sites and in area parades
• Serve as a musical ambassador for the Minnesota Historical Society and the State of Minnesota

Volunteers must attend weekly group rehearsals, February through August. Occasional sectional rehearsals or drill camps are scheduled, along with eight to ten performances during the spring and summer.

To apply

The Historic Fort Snelling Fife and Drum Corps is currently looking for students to perform during the 2024 season!

More information and apply online

Background

The goal of the Historic Fort Snelling Fife and Drum Corps is to gain a national reputation by performing throughout Minnesota and participating in fife-and-drum musters and clinics across the country.

Founded in 1971, when the historic site opened, the corps took a hiatus after only a few years. Music duties at the fort were handled by the interpretive staff, but their performance opportunities were limited. The full corps was revived in 2014 using staff musicians and student volunteers. The musical repertoire now spans from the Revolutionary War through World War II, including the years when Fort Snelling was an active post of the United States Army.