In 1782, as the American War drew to its close, a musician in the 42nd Highland Regiment serving with the British Army in North America made a decision that would change his life entirely. He deserted.

Within the decade, James Ewing was a teacher and pastor in New Jersey.

This talk traces his remarkable journey as a way into the hidden world of British military bands: privately funded, little understood, and far more human than the drum-beats of history suggest. Joshua Mason is a Rhode Island educator and historical researcher specializing in early American military music. A 2018 graduate of Rhode Island College, Mason has built a career centered on immersive public history, previously serving as the Education Coordinator at Fort Ticonderoga, where he developed dynamic interpretive programming. His extensive work with the Newport Historical Society as a researcher and writer earned him the prestigious History Space Award. Mason's primary research focuses on the vital roles of Bands of Music, drummers, and fifers leading up to and during the American War for Independence.

Cosponsored by the Hopewell Museum, Hopewell Public Library, Hopewell Valley Historical Society, and Hopewell Old School Baptist Meeting House.