Joy, Interesting question (at least to a former Music major). My gut feeling is that the musicians had to already know how to play their instruments. However, they would have needed to learn all of the calls they played. Regimental bands were eliminated by a General Order of the War Department in the summer of 1872. After that all musicians were assigned to the individual companies. Hope this helps, Joy Stalnaker wrote: > Does anyone know how musicians, fifers and drummers, were selected for > each company in the Union Army? Did they learn the skills after they > arrived, maybe as part of natural talent or did they already know how > to play? Maybe a combination of the two??? > Any help appreciated. > > Joy > > ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== > To search our list archives since 1996, go to > http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > and enter Civil-War in the list name > > > -- Alice J. Gayley Pennsylvania in the Civil War http://www.pa-roots.com/~pacw/

I think you made a typo; don't you mean 1862? Thanks for the interest. JOY At 06:26 PM 07/03/2006, you wrote: >Joy, > >Interesting question (at least to a former Music major). My gut feeling >is that the musicians had to already know how to play their >instruments. However, they would have needed to learn all of the calls >they played. > >Regimental bands were eliminated by a General Order of the War Department >in the summer of 1872. After that all musicians were assigned to the >individual companies. > >Hope this helps, > >Joy Stalnaker wrote: >>Does anyone know how musicians, fifers and drummers, were selected for >>each company in the Union Army? Did they learn the skills after they >>arrived, maybe as part of natural talent or did they already know how to >>play? Maybe a combination of the two??? >>Any help appreciated. >> >>Joy >> >>==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== >>To search our list archives since 1996, go to >>http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl >>and enter Civil-War in the list name >> >> > >-- >Alice J. Gayley >Pennsylvania in the Civil War >http://www.pa-roots.com/~pacw/ > > > >==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== >To search our list archives since 1996, go to >http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl >and enter Civil-War in the list name

Ah, yes..sometimes the fingers and the brain aren't in sync! Alice Joy Stalnaker wrote: > I think you made a typo; don't you mean 1862? > > Thanks for the interest. > > JOY > > At 06:26 PM 07/03/2006, you wrote: >> Joy, >> >> Interesting question (at least to a former Music major). My gut >> feeling is that the musicians had to already know how to play their >> instruments. However, they would have needed to learn all of the >> calls they played. >> >> Regimental bands were eliminated by a General Order of the War >> Department in the summer of 1872. After that all musicians were >> assigned to the individual companies. >> >> Hope this helps, >> >> Joy Stalnaker wrote: >>> Does anyone know how musicians, fifers and drummers, were selected >>> for each company in the Union Army? Did they learn the skills after >>> they arrived, maybe as part of natural talent or did they already >>> know how to play? Maybe a combination of the two??? >>> Any help appreciated. >>> >>> Joy >>> >>> ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== >>> To search our list archives since 1996, go to >>> http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl >>> and enter Civil-War in the list name >>> >>> >> >> -- >> Alice J. Gayley >> Pennsylvania in the Civil War >> http://www.pa-roots.com/~pacw/ >> >> >> >> ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== >> To search our list archives since 1996, go to >> http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl >> and enter Civil-War in the list name > > > ==== CIVIL-WAR Mailing List ==== > To search our list archives since 1996, go to > http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > and enter Civil-War in the list name > > > -- Alice J. Gayley Pennsylvania in the Civil War http://www.pa-roots.com/~pacw/