John Philip Sous Father Of Marching Music

John Phillip Sousa was the father of marching music and the father of the marching arts. Most of the patriotic marches that we know today were written by John Phillip Sousa, like the famous “Stars and Stripes Forever." According to The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music, “John Phillip Sousa wrote 137 marches, five teen operettas, five overtures, eleven suites, twenty-four dances, twenty- eight fantasies, and 322 arrangements of nineteenth-century western European symphonic works.” Not only, he was a world renown composer, educator, and a lieutenant commander of the military Marine (known as the Presidents Own Band), and Naval Reserve band, and a successful author of three books, The Fifth String, Pipetown Sandy, and The Transit
of Venus, but he was an inventor of the Sousaphone, a marching instrument known as the tuba. Based on my research John Philip Sousa had a very high impact on music. This paper seeks to outline that impact.
When he was thirteen John Philip Sousa permanently had music in his life, his farther recommended him to enlist in the marines as an apprentice, where he would play among the many talented musicians in the marine corps. He was by far the youngest musician in the Marine Corps band. However, he also continued studying and took private lessons. According to the lybary of congress, His most important teacher was George Felix Benkert, with whom he studied violin, harmony, and composition. While he was in the “Presidents Own Band," many spectators were confounded on how of a great musician he was.
Many different musicians’ and famous composers stated that John Philip Sousa could do his own thing (Create another band).
After with the Marines, he was discharged. According to The Library of Congress, “Thereafter, he performed as a violinist and conductor in various theater orchestras in Washington and Philadelphia.” Later after he got discharged, the eighteenth of December 1879, he was married to a famous singer Jane Van Middlesworth Bellis. Few months after they got married, they returned to Washington, D.C., where Sousa regained his leadership as a band commander of the “Presidents Own Band” over twelve years he shaped and molded the musician’s physically and musically to be the best. John Phillip Sousa conducted under five presidents: Presidents Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Grover Cleveland, Chester A. Arthur and William H.
Harrison.
By the 1880s, his reputation as a conductor, composer, and arranger was well-known. It was around the peak of his popularity when Sousa sated “Anybody can write music of a sort. However, touching the public heart is quite another thing” that’s exactly what he did through his music. Not only did his piece's spark the world admiration of music, there was also a stable example of American pride. His compositions that he made for the U.S. brought Americans together. He took the roll of a leader of the U. S. Marine Band “The Presidents Own Band” and held this position for Twelve years. He started molding the band into the most prestigious United States Military band in the world. Until this day, a regular concert band not consider good unless you play a Sousa March. At this moment in time today, The Presidents Own Band is currently releasing his marches for free for school bands, and any county bands can play. The reason being, Sousa was besides being a great conductor and musician; he was a champion for Music Education. And whenever he went, he really spoke out for music education, and the importance of music. John Mackey a Famous Musician and composer stated during his interview that “Sousa’s ordinary talent, couple with the stimulating environment in which he was raised, has caused historians to remark that his development as the prime example of a musical patriot was a natural one, and that he was obviously born at the right time and place in history."
John Phillip Sousa was a remarkable inventor. The Sousaphone was created by John Phillip Sousa. The maker/engineer of this instrument was J.W. Pepper a music publisher and musical instrument maker. This instrument design was borrowed from helicon and the tuba. There were many different designs of helicons during the 1880s, but John Phillip Sousa wanted a specific design for the Sousaphone. John Phillip Sousa enjoys the intonation of the helicon instrument. Nevertheless, he was looking for a mellower sound for more formal/Concert settings. According to OnMusic Dictionary, “In 1890s, J.W. Pepper built the instrument that allowed the bell to be pointed upwards for the concert setting and forward for the March." He called it the “Sousaphone” to thank Sousa for his suggestions. Other companies made their versions and the instrument; maker C. G. Conn made a sousaphone preferred by Sousa in his bands. Today's sousaphone (starting with the 1908 Conn version) has a forward bell which coils around to rest upon the performer's shoulder thus allowing the instrument to be carried with greater ease while marching. According to OnMusic Dictionary, “After the introduction of the sousaphone, John Philip Sousa predicted that in a few years, every home would have one." By John Phillip Sousa's inventions, every famous and non-famous marching band now have the Sousaphone. Sousa wanted a dark rich sound to set the foundations for marching band instead of the bell pointing up, so no one will hear it, the bell will be pointed forward, so you can hear the dark smooth sound.
Sousa had a couple of interests outside of music.
He wrote three novels – The Fifth String, Pipe town Sandy, and The Transit of Venus. According to Bowen-Merrill, “In his 1902 book The Fifth String, it’s about a young violinist made a deal with the Devil for a magic violin with five strings. The first four strings of the violin excited the emotions of Pity, Hope, Love and Joy. The fifth string would cause the player's own death once played. “When the violinist was unable to win the love of the woman he desired, he played on the death string at what would be his final live concert." Furthermore, John Phillip Sousa Sousa also wrote a booklet entitled A Manual for Trumpet and Drum According to the book, Its “A manual for trumpet and drum," “published by the Ludwig drum company, with advice for playing drums and trumpet. An early version of the trumpet solo to "Semper Fidelis" was included in this
volume.”
John Philip Sousa was an Astounding leader and musician. Many people during his time would gather just to see John Phillip Sousa. Under his leadership, everything must be played perfectly either it was a baroque era classical piece or a popular song. He had the passion of music that nobody had during his time. John Philip Sousa was very considerable in self- discipline and has extraordinary talent. He succeeded every goal that was put in place for him. Even so, his demeanor was common. He was approachable, unassuming, and tolerant. Many people knew him as a man with moral standards. When he was a little child, he was very diligent, and determined. In his mind, he wants to know what pleases his audience. So next time while he’s composing he knows what musical chord to write down.
John Philip Sousa's music compositions represented a heritage that belongs to Americans and music lovers around the world. During 1910 – 1911 John Philip Sousa and his band traveled around the world, including four tours in Europe. Many people have a stereotype of him as a “Marching composer," he wrote Operettas. An Operetta is a short musical. Musicals are usually soothing and legato feel, instead of tight and stressed beats. Among many compositions he wrote, the operettas had a mental connection to him because its lively, and humorous like most musicals are.
According to Liberty of Congress, He specified "I would rather be the composer of an inspired m than of a manufactured symphony." John Philip Sousa was a humbled, and religious man. It's been stated that his melodies came from God himself. After John Philip Sousa's death in 1932, many awards have been dedicated to him. In 1981 a foundation called John Philip Sousa Foundation, Non- Profit Organization, recognizes pure superior musical talent for high-school students, it provides scholarships, and projects. The John Philip Sousa award are award to one person in each high school band. if a band student gets chosen, there name and bio will be deducted to the John Philip Sousa Hall Of Fame. These are a few reasons why John Philip impacted music arts.