Charles Stewart Ashworth

Last updated

Charles Stewart Ashworth was Drum Major of the United States Marine Band in the early 1800s and the author of an influential rudimental drum manual.

Contents

Charles Stewart Ashworth
Born1777
England
OccupationU.S. Marine, Drummer, Drum Major, Author
NationalityAmerican
Period1802-1816

Bio

Charles Stewart Ashworth was born in England but had emigrated to the United States by December 13, 1802, when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in Boston. [1] He had been a Marine for just 2 years when, based on his previous drumming experience in England, he was promoted to drum major at the Washington Barracks. [2]

January 14, 1812 Ashworth published his book A New, Useful and Complete System of Drum Beating. [3] Though not the first American drum manual detailing short rudimental exercises, it was the first to use the term Rudiments in a drumming context, [4] calling them "Rudiments for Beating in General." This book standardized the teaching of military drumming in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. It also preserved the camp duty practices, or standard drum signals for military units, from the time of the American Revolutionary War by reiterating the calls and signals utilized by Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben at Valley Forge. [2] The book would be utilized through the War of 1812. It was also used as the basis for many other later drum manuals, including those by George Klinehanse, [5] William Nevins, [6] George Barrett Bruce and Dan Emmett, [7] and Ryan. [8] The rudimental system used was very similar to that of the British Army, owing to Ashworth's birth in England and the relative youth of the United States as an independent country. Many similarities can be seen with Samuel Potter's 1815 book Art of Beating the Drum, a standard of British drumming published in London, though there are also some marked differences. [2] Elias Howe later called Ashworth's rudiments "the old English style used in 1812." [9]

Ashworth left his post on October 16, 1816, prompting this quote from Commandant Lieutenant Colonel Franklin Wharton: “The late Drum Major, Ashworth, having declined longer service in the Corps, I shall have to obtain some other person. I wish you therefore to Advertise for one and after receiving all the recommendations of the Applicants report them—but make no agreement with anyone—I must, having required enquiry to be made at other places, reserve to myself the right of selecting. The pay is $12 per month and $2 per [Music ] Boy taught.” [1]

Publications

A New, Useful and Complete System of Drum Beating Including The Reveille, The Troop, Retreat, Officers Calls, Signals, Salutes and the whole of the Camp Duty as practiced at Head Quarters, Washington City, intended particularly for the United States Army and Navy by Charles Stewart Ashworth Director of the Marine Band of music, Washington City. To which are added tunes for the fife - adapted to the drum. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snare drum</span> Type of percussion instrument

The snare is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used in orchestras, concert bands, marching bands, parades, drumlines, drum corps, and more. It is one of the central pieces in a drum set, a collection of percussion instruments designed to be played by a seated drummer and used in many genres of music. Because basic rhythms are very easy to learn to play on a snare drum even for children, the instrument is also suitable for the music education for young children and a rhythm band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fife and drum corps</span> Military musical ensemble

A fife and drum corps is a musical ensemble consisting of fifes and drums. In the United States of America, fife and drum corps specializing in colonial period impressions using fifes, rope tension snare drums, and (sometimes) rope tension bass drums are known as Ancient Fife and Drum Corps. Many of these ensembles originated from a type of military field music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reveille</span> Bugle call at sunrise

"Reveille", called in French "Le Réveil" is a bugle call, trumpet call, drum, fife-and-drum or pipes call most often associated with the military; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise. The name comes from réveille, the French word for "wake up".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drum rudiment</span> Rhythm exercise

In rudimental drumming, a form of percussion music, a drum rudiment is one of a number of relatively small patterns which form the foundation for more extended and complex drumming patterns. The term "drum rudiment" is most closely associated with various forms of field drumming, where the snare drum plays a prominent role. In this context "rudiment" means not only "basic", but also fundamental. This tradition of drumming originates in military drumming and it is a central component of martial music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beating retreat</span> Military Ceremony

Beating Retreat is a military ceremony dating to 17th-century England and was first used to recall nearby patrolling units to their castle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bugle call</span> Short military tune or signal

A bugle call is a short tune, originating as a military signal announcing scheduled and certain non-scheduled events on a military installation, battlefield, or ship. Historically, bugles, drums, and other loud musical instruments were used for clear communication in the noise and confusion of a battlefield. Naval bugle calls were also used to command the crew of many warships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Marine Band</span> Premier band of the United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Band is the premier band of the United States Marine Corps. Established by act of Congress on July 11, 1798, it is the oldest of the United States military bands and the oldest professional musical organization in the United States. Today, the Marine Band includes the Marine Chamber Orchestra and Marine Chamber Ensembles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States military bands</span> Musical ensembles maintained by US uniformed services

United States military bands include musical ensembles maintained by the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, United States Air Force, and United States Coast Guard. More broadly, they can also include musical ensembles of other federal and state uniformed services, including the Public Health Service and NOAA Corps, the state defense forces, and the senior military colleges.

Musician (Mus) is a rank equivalent to Private held by members of the Royal Corps of Army Music of the British Army and the Royal Marines Band Service. The rank was also previously used in the United States Army and Confederate States Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corps of drums</span> Profession

A Corps of Drums, sometimes known as a Fife and Drum Corps, Fifes and Drums or simply Drums is a unit of several nation's armies. Drummers were originally established in European armies to act as signallers. The major historical distinction between a military band and a corps of drums is that 'drummers' were not employed to play their instruments to entertain or delight, but instead to carry out a utilitarian battlefield role. This role was fulfilled by trumpeters or buglers in the cavalry and the artillery, who did not form into comparative formed bodies in the way that drummers did; therefore, an orthodox corps of drums will exist in the infantry arm.

George B. Bruce was an American Army drum major during the Civil War. Bruce is best known for co-writing The Drummer's and Fifer's Guide with Daniel Decatur Emmett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Point Band</span> Military unit

The West Point Band is the U.S. Army's oldest active band and the oldest unit at the United States Military Academy, traces its roots to the American 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 as they were. Among their ranks stood at least one drummer and one fifer, who alone maintained the tradition of military music at West Point.

Ryan Alexander Bloom is an American drummer, author, and teacher. He is known for being a former member of the Colorado-based thrash metal band Havok, member of death metal band Bloodstrike, and the author of several books including the Double Bass Drumming Explained series and Encyclopedia Rudimentia.

Venerando Pulizzi was an Italian-American musician and leader and member of the United States Marine Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States military music customs</span>

United States military music customs are the traditional, regulatory, and statutory provisions that guide performances by United States military bands during drill and ceremony and state occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friday Evening Parade</span>

The Friday Evening Parade is a public duty performed by the United States Marine Corps at Marine Barracks Washington. It is executed on Friday evenings during the summer months. The parade's drill is loosely based on the Landing Party Manual.

Gardiner A. Strube was an American drum major in the New York National Guard and the author of a fife and drum manual.

H. C. Hart was an American drum major in the 71st New York Infantry during the American Civil War and an influential fife and drum manual author.

John Sterling "Jack" Pratt (1931–2020) was an American Army drum instructor at West Point as well as a celebrated rudimental book author. Pratt produced several volumes of rudimental solos and instructional materials and was also the founder of the International Association of Traditional Drummers (IATD), a member of the National Association of Rudimental Drummers (NARD), a member of the United States Association of Rudimental Drummers (USARD), and was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) Hall of Fame and the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame.

References

  1. 1 2 "Charles S. Ashworth". www.marineband.marines.mil. Retrieved Sep 10, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Beck, John N. Encyclopedia of Percussion.Taylor & Francis, 1995.
  3. "Who is Charles Stewart Ashworth". Aug 22, 2019. Retrieved Sep 10, 2019.
  4. Chandler, Eric Alan, "A History of Rudimental Drumming in America From the Revolutionary War to the Present." (1990). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 4901.
  5. Klinehanse, George. Manual for the Instruction of Drummers. Washington D.C., 1853.
  6. Nevins, William.Army Regulations for Drum, Fife, and Bugle. Chicago: Root and Cady, 1864.
  7. Bruce, G. and Emmitt, D. Drummers' and Fifers' Guide. 1862.
  8. Ryan. Ryan’s True Drum Instructor. Cincinnati: John Church & Co., 1872.
  9. Howe, Elias. United States Regulation Drum and Fife Instructor. Boston, 1861.
  10. Ashworth, Charles Stewart. A New, Useful and Complete System of Drum Beating Including The Reveille, The Troop, Retreat, Officers Calls, Signals, Salutes and the whole of the Camp Duty as practiced at Head Quarters, Washington City, intended particularly for the United States Army and Navy. Boston: Graupner and Price, 1812.