American Battlefield Trust to Launch the Music and the American Revolution Competition

(Washington, D.C.) — The American Battlefield Trust is excited to announce its latest endeavor, the Music and the American Revolution Competition. The competition, sponsored by the Trust and the Ray and Vera Conniff Foundation, calls on high school and college-age musicians, as well as independent artists under the age of 30, looking to take on a unique challenge — craft a song that showcases not only their creativity, but also captures the vibrant-yet-complex nature of the era that molded a bold, new nation.  

“Music has played an integral role in military history spanning the millennia,” said Trust President David Duncan. “During the American Revolution and Civil War, drummer boys were used to dispatch commands. When marching, drummers kept up a lively cadence to boost the morale of the men. The Music and the American Revolution Competition will help to bridge the generational gap and connect us to stories of our forefathers by putting a modern spin on the interpretation of music and history.” 

As it does in our lives today, music served many purposes during the Revolutionary era. More than a march cadence, music mirrored the daily lives of colonists — as well as their grievances with the British Crown. Popular lyrics emphasized the lack of representation in Parliament and mocked English leaders, with songs like “A Taxing We Will Go,” expressing the outrage of taxation without representation.   

General George Washington himself recognized the necessity of good music, ordering on June 4, 1777, that the “drum and fife Majors exert themselves to improve it, or they will be reduced [demoted], and their extraordinary pay taken from them.” Noting that “Nothing is more agreeable, and ornamental, than good music…” 

Entrants for the Music and the American Revolution Competition can decide if they wish to reimagine an old song — with their own twist — or opt to write a new piece that evokes the spirit of the Revolutionary era. Applications for the competition open October 15, 2024, with the entries being judged by musicians Trace Adkins and Tommy Skeoch, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Music Collection Curator Bret Werb, and others.  

Now get ready, set, compose!  

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today.  The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 58,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War. Learn more at www.battlefields.org.  

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