John Philip Sousa was born Nov. 6, 1854 in Washington, D. C. His father was a trombonist in the Marine Band. John Philip grew up around military band music. He began his musical studies at about age 6 and became an excellent violinist. After serving in the Marine band he toured as a violinist and began conducting theater orchestras and conducted Gilbert & Sullivan H.M.S. Pinafore on Broadway. He assumed leadership of the Marine Band in Sept. of 1880. He resigned from this position to form his own band in 1892. Having written his famous "Stars and Stripes Forever in 1896, it was the last piece he conducted before he died in 1932.

Of course, Sousa is best known for his many great marches and his other compositions are often neglected which include 15 operettas and many waltzes and popular tunes. Also were the 'Suites" written by Sousa that include: "Dwellers of the Western World," Leaves From My Notebook: and "Three Quotations." His first composition was "Moonlight On The Potomac," written in 1872.It was the Sousa Band that introduced ragtime to Europe, this playing of American ragtime music during his concerts influenced composers such as Debussy, Ravel, Schoenberg, Milhaud, and many others. Many of these early cakewalk arrangements for the Sousa Band were made by Arthur Pryor, Sousa's great trombone soloist and assistant conductor.

The first published Sousa composition appeared in 1872. There is an interesting story that goes with he composition of this group of waltzes: It was frivolously commissioned and published by a friend of Sousa who wanted to win a young lady's favors by presenting her with a composition dedicated to her honor. The composition begins with an introduction in 6/8 meter followed by 6 small waltzes and ending with a lengthy finale in ¾ meter.

Written for the minstrel troupe of Carncross & Dixey, it lists Sousa as the composer, although in some articles Sousa is mentioned as the lyricist. It is subtitled "Plantation Scene." As one would expect it contains words in Negro dialect. During this era the minstrel was one of the most popular in entertainment but to find Sousa writing a song of this nature is rather surprising. It does not contain any syncopation or rhythms associated with the Negro music of the era.

Written in the first year of his marriage to Jane van Middlesworth Bellis in 1879, Sousa was asked to compile and compose music for the variety show "Our Flirtation." He accomplished this while on vacation at Cape May, New Jersey. The show was produced at the Park Theatre in Philadelphia. Sousa, while on tour with "Our Flirtation" received an offer for leadership of the U.S. Marine Band. He accepted and became the 14th leader of the band. He stayed with the band for 12 years, under 5 presidents and the first conductor to be American born..

Oh My! De Sight is in Negro dialect and seems to be about a person ascending to Heaven in a dream and saw the angels and Gabriel tootin' his horn.

Written for the Gridiron Club of Washington D. C. in 1889 it is in 6/8 meter, a meter usually associated with march meter. The Lyrics speak of the poet, the lover, and the singer and is classic in content.

Yale Society Two-Step - 1894 - Chas. L. VanBaar

Sousa's only connection with Yale University seems to have been when his band, in 1910, was touring through New England he was overcome by a malaria attack and carried from a Yale University stage on a stretcher.

Written and dedicated to Sousa by Chas. L. VanBaar in 1894, the "Yale March & Two Step" is a typical march in 6/8 meter. Subtitled a two-step it is characteristic of the combination of the march and the two-step dance style of the era.

Rastus on Parade is one of the earliest cakewalk types published. It can be called an early rag, being published in 1895. Brass bands were closely associated with early cakewalks and Negro style music. "Rustus" uses the early type of syncopated rhythm and gained notoriety because the piece was played by the Sousa Band. Its name was used by the Negro poet Lawrence Dunbar (1872-1906) in 1903 in his poem "The Colored Band." Its style illustrates the evolution from the march to the cakewalk and rag.

In Darkest Africa - from "Three Quotations" - 1895 - Sousa

Sousa composed a number of band suites including "Dwellers of the Western World," "Tales of a Traveler," and "Three Quotations." In Darkest Africa is one of three sections of "Three Quotations." Written in 1895, it is not an attempt at having the piece sound African in nature but more in the style of a two-step with some use of the cakewalk rhythm and with syncopation used sparingly. It does show the willingness of Sousa to use Negro topics in his suites and the programming of Negro style music for his concerts.

On the band's first tour of Europe in 1900 the continent got its first live performance of ragtime music. Upon performing some ragtime selections the Paris audience was very enthusiastic over what they heard. Sousa, in his concerts in America had programmed cakewalks and ragtime music. In 1896 a piece was composed and dedicated to Sousa entitled Sambo at the Cake Walk. We have seen that Sousa had written some minstrel type music and used Negro themes in some of his band suites. Many contemporary composers wished to have the Sousa band play their music and thusly dedicated some to Sousa. Alfred C. Marks, in1896, wrote what is described as a "March and Two Step." The two step, the march and the cakewalk were very closely related and we find some use of the cakewalk rhythm in this piece.

Described as the greatest Coon Song of the Age it was played "at all the Sousa band concerts." The vaudevillian Carroll Johnson is shown on the cover in his blackface and costume for his vaudeville routine.

The Shuffling Coon - 1897 - J. Todd

This is one of the cakewalks performed by Sousa's Band. It is described as a Buck and Wing Dance and uses the cakewalk rhythm in the1st and 4th section of the piece.

Levee Revels - 1898 - Wm. O'Hare

Another of the cakewalks done by Sousa's Band There is the use of the cakewalk rhythm throughout. It is described as an "Afro-American Cane Hop." The sheet music cover depicts an old negro man with a cane doing a dance while being accompanied by a banjoist and a bone player on the docks of a river with a steamboat cruising on the river.

Bride Elect - 1898 - Sousa

Sousa wrote 15 operettas. Contained within this arrangements are some of the waltzes used in the opera, "Bride Elect." While Sousa was not known for his writing of waltzes those waltzes contained without the arrangement are typical style waltzes of the era. When the waltz was one of the most popular dances in the dance band repertoire.

Pryor wrote this piece for band concert performance. The music illustrates the like between brass band music and the Negro type music, i.e. the cakewalk. This piece was re-issued in 1918 unaltered except for a new, more fashionable descriptive designation "Jazz Fox Trot." Published in 1899, it is a very good example of the cakewalk genre using the characteristic cakewalk rhythm and using syncopation. There is also a very characteristic trombone performance with a generous use of glissandos.

One of the selections played by the Sousa Band at the Paris Exposition during their European tour Policy Sam is true cakewalk in style. The use of the cakewalk rhythm throughout is seem in the introduction, the first, third (a repeat of section one) and trio sections of the piece. It is described as a Cakewalk & two step.

Marked a ragtime/cakewalk, we find the name of "Sousa's Band" following Pryor's name on the composer's credit. The introduction has an interesting use of the cakewalk rhythm in unison. It is marked "Marcia Moderato," again linking the cakewalk music to the march and brass bands. Using both the cakewalk rhythm and the syncopation of ragtime it is a bridge between the two styles.

During the year 1899, cakewalks were one of the most popular styles of American popular music. Within the song there is multiple use of the cakewalk rhythm. Written in a quasi march form, it is an excellent example of a cakewalk at the turn of the 19th century. The cakewalk brought to the foreground of American popular music this style of Negro music and rhythm. The cakewalk is a direct ancestor of the music called ragtime.

Marked as a characteristic cakewalk, march and two-step it is a great example of a cakewalk of the era, using the cakewalk rhythm throughout. Written by the famous Abe Holzmann who is credited with many ragtime pieces during this era. His most famous being "Smokey Mokes." This was one of the favorites of the Sousa Band.

this is another cakewalk that was popular with Sousa's Band and often played. The second section uses counterpoint to good effect. The third section stresses the "Scotch Snap" ( o o ) which often appeared in early plantation music. If one hears only the first section one would say it is definitely a cakewalk, but if hearing the second section one would say it is a march.

Probably written to capitalize on the popularity of the Sousa Band the lyrics describe the activities and comments when Sousa brings his popular band to a community, in this case, a factious Negro section of an American town. It shows the popularity of military bands at the turn of the 20th century. Sousa's Band is pictured on the cover surrounded by the Negroes of the town, led by young Negro children. One pictured playing a brass instrument.

Published in 1909, it is marked a cakewalk and two-step, "Bunch" is a traditional cakewalk using the characteristic rhythm of the cakewalk and its traditional appearance in the 13th and 14th measures of the first section. It is written in 5 sections with a transitional 'break' before the last section. This cakewalk was played by the Sousa Band and was introduced in Paris by Sousa. The influence of the Sousa Band overseas cannot be overstated. We only have to point out that Debussy heard the Sousa Band and later composed his famous cakewalk.

Sousa wrote, in 1911. a band suite entitled "Dwellers of the Western World. It contained three sections: The Red Man, The White Man and the Black Man. We will play the third section "The Black Man."

This waltz was one of the last compositions by Sousa, being written in 1931, a year before his death. It ends with a 7 measure chromatic run. There are basically two themes, the main theme being divided by transitional material.

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