How We Got Here
The Full Story
Cadences originated with PVT Willie Lee Duckworth during WWII. His story has turned to legend and is still alive in the US military today.
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Duckworth, a black Soldier and a descendent of freed American slaves, took the call-and-response style of "work songs" and wrote his famous tune, "Sound Off."
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This new-found method of morale-building would quickly spread across the Army, and make its mark in its history. Hundreds of cadences have since been written and taken root in US military culture.
Segregated Troops marching while they sing in formation. Photo courtesy U.S. Army
Documenting History
I did BCT (Basic Combat Training) in 2021, where I was first introduced to the idea of cadences. A musician myself, the idea of a military unit using music to motivate troops, or simply get them through a run was fascinating to me. However, I only called cadence once in BCT - and that was after our graduation.
Fast forward to MOS school, AIT (Advanced Individual Training). We marched many miles across several weeks, and I wore my voice out calling cadence. There was nothing like it. However, we quickly began to turn into the local radio station nobody wants to hear, due to their incredible ability to play the same songs on loop 24/7. We were running out of material.
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I turned to YouTube, like every good Gen-Z soldier, and was amazed at how little I found. Remember, this was before military cadences went viral, accruing hundreds of millions of views across the military and civilian community. At this time, there was very little to be found by way of recordings, and sometimes you couldn't even find lyrics to the jodies we'd marched to for decades. You truly had to have been there to understand the tradition. I made the decision that day, that when I returned home, I would record these cadences and share them with my family.
Veteran's Day came around, and upon hearing a chilling speech by one of my NCOs, I spent some time reflecting on the time-honored traditions I was adhering to. I also began thinking about how many souls had worn the uniform before me, and how many will make the sacrifices necessary for me to continue living the life of opportunity I've been afforded in this great nation. Inspired by an old cadence my buddy found called "Down in the Battlefield," I pulled out my notepad, and in 5 short minutes I wrote the cadence, "Fallen Soldiers."
This cadence took the world by storm, and quickly brought me comments, messages, emails, and letters from service members and veterans asking me to record other cadences. This is when it all came together for me: I can be a resource for service members, military schools, and veterans. All of those things are amazing, and I'm honored to be a part of our history - but that was only the beginning.
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Since the release of Fallen Soldiers, I've recorded, by request of present and former military personnel, 50 military cadences/jodies. My hope and prayer is that these songs surface memories for service members, remind them of their "day zero" motivation, and bring back their fire.
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Through a fast-expanding social media presence, we have been able to use these songs to bring awareness and raise money for veteran-focused nonprofits, and I believe that God has a bright future in store for the direction of this mission. My continued prayer is that you, whoever is reading this, is inspired by something you see. If that is all I accomplish, then I will be proud to have been a part of your story in that way.
