The John Marshall Fife and Drum Corps is a musical group modeled after the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps in Washington D.C.

Jacob Lambert, music education major and bass drum in the ensemble, said he believes Marshall is one of the very few of national collegiate corps.

“We are one in three or four collegiate drum corps in the nation,” Lambert said. “We were the first, but more have emerged.”

According to the John Deaver Drinko Academy website, the group was created 10 years ago by Wendell Dobbs and his wife, Linda. The duo said they saw an opportunity for the students and Marshall University.

The ensemble wears Revolutionary Era uniforms and play wooden fifes and rope drums, which is historically accurate for John Marshall’s time.

“There are fifes, snare drums, bass drums and horns in the ensemble,” said Hillary Herold, a fife and singer for the group, as well as an adjunct professor. “We use rope drums, and we have synthetic heads to represent calf skin heads that would be historically accurate.”

The group performs for ceremonies across campus, making them stand out from other musical ensembles.

“When we play, we are playing for the president, for cake cutting ceremonies, for the fountain ceremony,” Herold said. “We are playing for these historical events that are solely for Marshall which makes us closer to the heritage that is Marshall University.”

The group also travels around the world for performances. Lambert said the group traveled to France last year. They also traveled to John Marshall’s former home, where they cleaned his grave and played outside his former home.

The group’s first performance will be Sept. 21 at the John Marshall Dinner. After that, the group will perform Sept. 23 at the Heritage Farm and Sept. 26 at the cake cutting ceremony for John Marshall’s birthday. The ensemble will also perform Oct. 7 in a parade at Point Pleasant.

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