U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY BAND HERITAGE. (Quoted from the USMA Band Home Pagefound off the USMA Home Page.) "The United States Military Academy Band, the U.S. Army's oldest active band and the oldest unit at West Point, traces its roots to before the Revolutionary War. At that time, fifers and drummers were stationed with companies of minutemen on Constitution Island, across the river from West Point. In 1778, General Samuel Holden Parsons' 1st Connecticut Brigade crossed the Hudson River and established West Point as a permanent military post. After the American Revolution, Congress disbanded most of the Continental Army, but "the 55 men at West Point, "members of the 2nd Continental Artillery, remained. Among their ranks stood at least one drummer and one fifer, who alone maintained the tradition of military music at West Point.

With the establishment of the United States Military Academy in 1802 came an increased demand for military music. As the academy grew, it needed fifers,drummers and buglers to drill the new cadets and provide an audible order to their duty day. In 1817 the ensemble was named the West Point Band, and by this time was performing on a full range of instruments, which included two bassoons, two Royal Kent bugles, a tenor bugle, ten clarinets, three French horns, a serpent (an early bass horn), cymbals, a bass drum, eight flutes,and two trumpets. In 1866 it received the official title of the "United States Military Academy Band."

Today's band consists of four components: the Concert Band, the Hellcats (the drum and bugle field music unit), the Jazz Knights, and the support staff. These combine to form the marching band. As the senior premier musical representative of the United States Army, the band has appeared at many historical events. It performed at the dedication of the Erie Canal; at the Chicago and New York Worlds' Fairs; for the funerals of Ulysses S. Grant and Franklin D. Roosevelt; at an honor guard for Richard M. Nixon; and at the return of the hostages from Iran. Additionally, the band fulfills all of the official musical requirements ofthe academy, including military and patriotic ceremonies, public concerts,sporting events, and radio and television broadcasts, as well as social activities for the Corps of Cadets and the West Point community.

The soldier-musicians of this organization are recruited by the Army andselected through a competitive audition process especially for service in the United States Military Academy Band. They are chosen from among across-section of the nation's finest music schools and conservatories.

For nearly two centuries this musical organization has served the Army, the Military Academy, and the Corps of Cadets with pride and distinction,reaffirming the value of music to the military and the country. "

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