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John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa had been a conductor since 1878 and had been a musician since about 1861. The Famous Sousa Band, his own organization, has been in existence for nearly forty years and for the twenty years immediately preceding he was the conductor of the Marine Band attached to the President's household.

Throughout his career as a conductor he had also been a composer, and it is an open question which of his two activities brought him the greater renown. It would be difficult to segregate the two, however, for his marches, his band and his personality served as a single unit in creating his unique reputation.

Mr. Sousa was born in Washington in 1854. The fact that his father was a musician and a member of the Marine Band which his son was later to lead, combined with the marital spirit of Civil War days of his youth in Washington, served to give his talent the bent which made him the "march king" to all the world for a quarter of a century.

His musical education began at 7. He had already made up his mind that he wanted to be a musician, and four years later he won all the medals at the conservatory, the beginning of his collection of decorations, which is said to be the largest in his field in the world. That same year he became a violin soloist, and two years later his father enrolled him as an apprentice with the Marine Band.

After several years with that organization he left it to join a theatrical orchestra, and early in this period of his career he had an opportunity to substitute for the conductor. He was a conductor from that day on, and in 1880 he was appointed to head the Marine Band at the White House. Three years earlier, at 23, he had been first violinist in the orchestra conducted by Jacques Offenbach during the latter's tour of this country.

His service at the White House covered the terms of Presidents Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland and Harrison. Many of his most famous musical works were composed during this period. One of these, "The Washington Post March," was adopted by many dancing masters for use in teaching the two- step, which was just being introduced at the time. He sold that composition, which is still widely played, for $35.

Organized Band in 1892

Mr. Sousa organized his own band in 1892. It was not long before he attained world fame. It has been estimated that the band covered an aggregate itinerary of a million and a quarter miles, visiting nearly every city in this country, a great many in Europe and others in all parts of the world. The wide travels of the band throughout the United States on the semi-annual tours which were its customary program are considered to have contributed toward the furtherance of musical education in the nation.

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Video / DVD

Documentary: John Philip Sousa

Documentary: John Philip Sousa

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers

Today being July 4th and all, what better way to celebrate America's birthday than to look at the life and music of John Philip Sousa (1854-1932). Known as the “March King," the composer and conductor of brassy, dramatic patriotic songs in the 1800s also laid the track for jazz. By the turn of the 20th century, ragtime players were interpretting on the keyboard with syncopation what Sousa had squarely accomplished accomplished with a large band, uniforms and equipment. Here's the ...

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Obituary

Remembering John Philip Sousa

Remembering John Philip Sousa

Source: Michael Ricci

John Philip Sousa, Band Leader, Dies in Hotel at Reading

READING, Pa., Sunday, March 6. 1932 John Philip Sousa, famous American band conductor and march king of a generation ago, died unexpectedly early this morning in his room in the Abraham Lincoln Hotel from an attack of heart disease.

He came to Reading to lead the local Ringgold Band today in its 80th Anniversary concert as its guest conductor. He rehearsed the band yesterday afternoon and at that ...

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