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Join Us

Join Our Ranks

Anyone over the age of 14 is welcome to join. 

Did you see us in a parade or another community event and thought we looked cool? Do you already play the flute or drums or perhaps you would like to learn? Are you a patriot and want to be apart of a symbol of our nation’s heritage? Keep reading. 

We are a living, breathing tradition, an ensemble of fifers, drummers, and flag bearers who proudly carry the sound and spirit of the American Revolution into the 21st century.


Rooted in Topton, Pennsylvania, many of our members were alumni of the Brandywine Heights High School Fife and Drum Corps. Our music echoes through the counties of Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, Montgomery, and Bucks, and on to the hallowed grounds of regional historic sites. We play not to reenact — but to remember, rekindle, and rejoice.


Our uniforms may be red, our coats trimmed in blue — but we are not the British.
We wear red because musicians in the Continental Army wore the opposite colors of their fighting brethren, so commanders could spot them in the chaos of war. We wear it proudly, as a badge of peace, purpose, and musical duty. We are drummers. We are fifers. We are carriers of historic flags that have waved through battles. And we are always ready to welcome new hearts to the line.

 

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One Corps, One Sound

Why We March

In 1988, a visionary band director named Steve “Schwo” Schwoyer saw something more in a surplus of flute players. He saw Williamsburg. He saw Brandywine. He saw history with a heartbeat. And so, with the full force of a school and a dream behind him, he forged the Brandywine Heights Fife and Drum Corps — a musical family that defined a generation and gave many of us the most meaningful memories of our youth.

His vision carried us for decades. And when it fell silent, it left a hole in our hearts and our hometown...Until now.

In 2024, at the Topton Halloween Parade, one of our own — Steve Meitzler — watched the band pass by with no fife, no drum, no banner fluttering with the ghosts of ’76. And in that moment, the call was clear:

Revive the tradition. Rebuild the corps. Rekindle the pride.

Thus, the Brandywine Colonials Fife and Drum Corps was reborn — not as a high school program, but as a nonprofit community of alumni, musicians, patriots, and dreamers.

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Why You Should Join

You don’t need to have been in the Brandywine Heights band.
You don’t need to know how to play (yet).
You don’t even need to own a uniform (we’ll help).
All you need is:

  • A spirit of camaraderie

  • A love for history and heritage

  • A desire to be part of something bigger than yourself

  • And a willingness to show up, pick up a stick or fife, and learn.

If you’re 14 or older, there’s a place for you in the ranks — whether on the field as a musician, behind the standard as a flag bearer, or helping haul gear and spread joy as part of our support crew.

What You'll Be Part Of

Joining the Brandywine Colonials means stepping into a community. We rehearse, we perform, we teach, we tell stories, we wave flags, we play rudiments, and we laugh — a lot.
You’ll gain:

  • Musical training and mentorship

  • Performances at parades, musters, and historical events

  • A deeper understanding of America’s past

  • Lifelong friends and memories forged in music

  • The opportunity to honor a legacy worth preserving

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Anyone Can Be A Colonial!

Musicians and non-musicians are able to join the Brandywine Colonials. We have a place for everyone.

Give as much as you are able
and
as much as you are willing.

Member Requirements

  • You must be over the age of 14.

  • You may join at any level of skill and we will help you master your instrument, but it may take time before you are ready to perform with us.

  • Your commitment is as much as you are able and as much as you are willing. We don't want to burn you out and we would rather have you only participate a little than not participate at all.

  • Most of what you need will be provided for you except your shoes and polo shirt.

  • All adult members (18 and older) must obtain and maintain valid Pennsylvania child protection clearances as required by the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law (23 Pa.C.S. § 6344).

    You only need the FBI Criminal Background Check and fingerprinting if you have not lived in PA for the last 10 years. 

    • The PA State Police Criminal Record Check and PA Child Abuse History Certification are free for volunteers. 

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How to Enlist

Interested? Curious? Feeling the pull of history and the beat of the drum?

Come meet us.

We rehearse. We perform. We gather.
You’re welcome at any of it.

To start, simply reach out to us and introduce yourself. Tell us what you’re interested in — drumming, fifing, carrying a flag, helping behind the scenes, or just learning more.

We’ll invite you to visit a rehearsal, meet the corps, and see how we roll — both musically and as a community. If it feels right (and we bet it will), we’ll guide you step-by-step into the fold.

Not Just a Corps. A Cause.

One day, at a rehearsal, a former band parent stopped by. She watched us play. Her eyes welled with tears. That’s when we realized: this is not just music.
It’s memory. It’s meaning. It’s home.

So if your heart beats a little faster when the drumline kicks in…
If you’ve felt the ache of tradition slipping away, and longed to catch it before it's gone…
If you’ve ever wanted to play a part — literally — in something enduring…

Then come on.
We’ve saved you a spot.
We’re marching forward, looking back, and living loud.

Join the Brandywine Colonials Fife and Drum Corps.
Play the past. Shape the future.

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Practice Info:

Practice location

Ziegel Church

990 Ziegels Church Rd, Breingisville, PA 18031

Practice Days

2nd, 4th, and 5th Sundays

(with adjustments for holidays)

Practice time

6:30-8:00pm

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