John Philip Sousa: The March King

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“Anybody can write music of a sort. But touching the public heart is quite another thing.” This was said by John Philip Sousa. Sousa, perhaps the most skillful composer/conductor in all of history, certainly touched America’s public with his inspiring marches, drawing emotions and pictures of bravery, pride, and courage. He and his marches single handedly changed the course of musical history, and his achievements and legacy still leave a mark on today’s modern world.
Born on November 6, 1854 to John Antonio Sousa and Mary Elisabeth Trinkhaus, Sousa’s musical talent was recognized at an early age. Exposed to military music on a regular basis, he began his music education at the age of 6, learning from his teachers of harmony and music composition. Sousa studied violin, voice, piano, flute, cornet, baritone, trombone, and alto horn throughout his childhood. At 13 years of age, Sousa enlisted in The United States Marine Corps as an apprentice musician in 1868 and stayed until he was 20 years old. In 1880, he became the leader of the U.S. Marine Band and thoroughly transformed it into “The President’s Own” for 5 different presidents- from Ruther B. Hayes to Benjamin Harrison. It was also in the 1880s where Sousa first gained national recognition for his professional and patriotic march compositions, drawing the public’s attention. However, in 1892, Sousa resigned from his Marine Band post and started organizing his own band, dubbed “The Sousa Band”, where they toured internationally, drawing praise from his audiences and world acclaim.
In the 1890s Sousa also redeveloped a type of a bass tuba called the helicon because he was unhappy with the helicons used at that time by the United States Marine Band. Sousa favored a tuba that wou...

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"Semper Fidelis (march)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 May 2014. Web. 1 June 2014. .
"The Washington Post (march)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 May 2014. Web. 1 June 2014. .
"Sousa: The March King." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 1 June 2014. .
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "John Philip Sousa (American composer)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 1 June 2014. .

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