John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa or John Philip de Sousa (November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932), popularly known as "The March King", is probably the most famous conductor and composer in history of military marches.

Other music

In addition to hundreds of marches, Sousa wrote ten operas and a number of musical suites.

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Sousa exhibited many talents aside from music. He authored three novels and a full length autobiography as well as a great number of articles and letters-to-the-editor on a variety of subjects. As a trapshooter, he ranks as one of the all-time greats, and his skill as a horseman met championship criteria.

Related Topics:
Novel - Autobiography - Trapshooter - Horse

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He was in the vanguard of the reactionary camp in the music piracy wars of his era (cf. Recording Industry Association of America), in which authors of sheet music railed against the upstart recording industry. In a submission to a congressional hearing in 1906, he argued that:

Related Topics:
Reactionary - Recording Industry Association of America - Sheet music - Recording industry - Congressional - 1906

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:These talking machines are going to ruin the artistic development of music in this country. When I was a boy ... in front of every house in the summer evenings, you would find young people together singing the songs of the day or old songs. Today you hear these infernal machines going night and day. We will not have a vocal cord left. The vocal cord will be eliminated by a process of evolution, as was the tail of man when he came from the ape.

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