Cincinnati Pops Orchestra: American as Apple Pie

"John Philip Sousa ... was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. ... Among his best known marches are 'The Washington Post', 'Semper Fidelis' (Official March of the United States Marine Corps), and 'The Stars and Stripes Forever' (National March of the United States of America). His father was Portuguese, and his mother of Bavarian ancestry. Sousa began his career playing violin and studying music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix Benkert. His father eventually enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as an apprentice in 1868. After departing the band in 1875, Sousa eventually learned to conduct. From 1880 until his death, Sousa began focusing exclusively on conducting and wrote marches during this time. He eventually rejoined the Marine Band and served there for 12 years as director. Upon leaving the Marine Band, Sousa organized his own band. ... Sousa wrote 136 marches, published by the Sam Fox Publishing Company beginning in 1917 and continuing until his death" (Wikipedia).

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