Sousa in 60 Seconds

Learn everything you need to know about Sousa in 60 seconds or less!

For more information about Sousa and his march "The Invincible Eagle" please visit www.sousaie.ning.com. The "Sousa Invincible Eagle Ning" was created by students in the Fall 2008 MUS243 class at the University of Illinois @ Urbana - Champaign.

Full text of S60:
Hold onto your handlebar moustaches as The Invincible Three proudly presents Sousa in 60 Seconds! Get ready to learn all you need to know about Sousa in 3-2-1!

The third of 10 children, John Philips Sousa was born to a Bavarian immigrant and a Spanish trombone player on November 6, 1854 in Washington D.C. At an early age, Sousa went to a music conservatory where he studied singing, violin, piano and several brass instruments. By the age of 11, Sousa started his first performing ensemble and when he was 13, Sousas dad enlisted him in the Marine Band.

After leaving the Marina Band at the age of 20, Sousa conducted numerous touring ensembles that traveled around the United States. In 1880, five years after leaving the Marines, Sousa was hired as the 14th Conductor of the Marine Band a position he held for the next 12 years. To augment the limited band literature, Sousa found himself transcribing traditional orchestra pieces along with composing his own works. During his tenure, the Marine Band was recognized for musical excellence.

In 1892, Sousa left the Marine Band to form his own group called Sousas Band. Sousas Band would go on to perform over 15,000 concerts over a 40-year span and the success of the band helped to make Sousa a pop phenom! He and his band toured the country each year as well as conducting four European tours and one world tour in 1910. Sousas Band was the first ensemble to travel over a million miles and to play for more than 1 million people!

Sousas most obvious legacy includes his 132 marches that he composed, including our national march The Stars and Stripes Forever. Here are just a few!

In 1932, Sousa died of a heart attack at the age of 77 after conducting a community band. Fittingly, the last piece he conducted was The Stars and Stripes Forever.

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[txmssippi]

awesome! thanks.

[mdrocklee]

Wow,

now I know EVERYTHING I need to know about Sousa!