What says March better than John Philip Sousa? “The March King” was born in Washington, D.C., in 1854. His father was a trombonist in the U.S. Marine Band, so the younger Sousa’s childhood was filled with military and patriotic music.
As an adult, Sousa became a famous conductor and composer as well as leader of the Marine Band. His works include marches such as “The Stars and Stripes Forever” (the national march) in 1896, “University of Illinois” in 1929 and “The Belle of Chicago” in 1892. The Dallas Wind Symphony Web site has an extensive Sousa section at www.dws.org/sousa. There’s even a clip of Sousa’s voice.
The John Philip Sousa Foundation sponsors an array of awards for students, community bands and professional musicians. For information about the foundation, visit www.loyno.edu/sousafoundation (hosted by Loyola University of New Orleans).