Unequalled by his predecessors, John Philip Sousa is responsible for bringing the United States Marine Band to an unprecedented level of excellence: a standard upheld by every Marine Band Director since. Sousa grew up with the Marine Band, and his intimate knowledge of the band coupled with his great ability provided the ideal medium to showcase the marches which would earn him the title, the “March King.”

The Marine Band was Sousa’s first experience conducting a military band, and he approached musical matters unlike most of his predecessors. He replaced much of the music in the library with symphonic transcriptions and changed the instrumentation to meet his needs. Rehearsals became exceptionally strict, and he shaped his musicians into the country’s premier military band. Marine Band concerts began to attract discriminating audiences, and the band’s reputation began to spread widely.

Sousa first received acclaim in military band circles with the writing of his march The Gladiator in 1886. From that time on he received ever-increasing attention and respect as a composer. In 1888, he wrote Semper Fidelis. Dedicated to “the officers and men of the Marine Corps,” it is traditionally known as the "official" march of the Marine Corps.

The immense popularity of the Marine Band made Sousa anxious to take his Marine Band on tour, and in 1891 President Benjamin Harrison gave official sanction for the first Marine Band tour, a tradition which has continued annually since that time, except in times of war.

In his twelve years as leader of the Marine Band, he served under five presidents, and the experience he gained with the Marine Band would be applied to his civilian band for the next thirty-nine years. With his own band, Sousa’s fame and reputation would grow to even greater heights.

John Philip Sousa died on March 6, 1932, at Reading, Pennsylvania, where he was scheduled to conduct the Ringgold Band. His body was brought to his native Washington to lie in state in the Band Hall at Marine Barracks. Four days later, two companies of Marines and Sailors, the Marine Band, and honorary pall-bearers from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps headed the funeral cortege from the Marine Barracks to Congressional Cemetery.

Perhaps the most significant tribute to Sousa’s influence on American culture, The Stars and Stripes Forever was designated as the national march of the United States on December 11, 1987. A White House memorandum states the march has become “an integral part of the celebration of American life.”

Visit www.marineband.marines.mil/About/Our-History/John-Philip-Sousa to learn more.