On February 4, 2024, the Plymouth Fife and Drum Corps (PFDC) was excited to host the 26th Annual “Freezer Jam”, a winter conference rotating between the hometowns of the 15 fife and drum corps located throughout the midwestern United States.

There was a lot of buzz and excitement around this year’s conference because it had been four long years since the 25th Freezer Jam had been held in Lafayette, Indiana – just one month before the COVID-19 pandemic effectively shut down all large events of this type for many months.

Freezer Jam was also a chance for PFDC to show off its new home at PARC, and was planned for February 4th in order to coincide with the Plymouth Ice Festival. That gave the various attendees and their families the opportunity to enjoy the ice sculptures and various other festivities taking place in Downtown Plymouth throughout the weekend.

The main focus of the conference was the fife and drum music of the colonial era of early America. Additionally, there were break-out sessions about flag history and leadership, roundtable discussions and classes on marching and guard equipment.

This year's conference was attended by nine other Fife and Drum Corps and brought in families from Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.

One exciting feature of the 2024 Freezer Jam was participation by the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, also known as The Old Guard, based out of Fort Myer Military Base in Arlington, Virginia. PFDC is proud to share that one of their alumni is a fifer with the Old Guard, who perform throughout the country at major parades, historical celebrations and professional sporting events, as well as welcoming foreign heads of state at the White House.

They have performed in every presidential inauguration parade since President John F. Kennedy was elected. After the event, PFDC President Jen Hanold remarked, “For me, the highlight was being able to see The Old Guard perform in person for the first time. Their preciseness in their movements and marching style was excellent and you could see their joy in being able to play for an audience.”

After a full day of learning and practicing, which also included several of the corps marching together from PARC to Kellogg Park and back, all the corps performed at a free public concert, held at the Jack Wilcox Theater inside PARC. This lively performance featured each of the corps in their uniforms with an opportunity to show off their unique musical style and repertoire. The show culminated in the “massed bands”, where all groups played together on the stage in celebration of the day’s accomplishments.

For all of the attendees, Freezer Jam was a great opportunity to learn from some amazing instructors and also have fun playing music and enjoying the camaraderie of friends both old and new.

All the corps who attended, with the exception of The Lewis & Clark Fife & Drum Corps and Plymouth Fife & Drum Corps, were adult corps.

Plymouth Fife & Drum Corps is comprised of youths aged 12-18 from Plymouth, Canton, Northville and surrounding communities. It welcomes all who are interested in joining PFDC to stop by during its Monday night practices at PARC, Room 304, or to visit its website: https://pfdc.us/