Biography about john philip sousa songs listen

BIOGRAPHY

John Philip Sousa was born in Washington, DC on November 6, 1854. He was the third of ten children of John Antonio Sousa, a Portuguese immigrant, and Maria Elizabeth Trinkhaus, a German immigrant.

His father played trombone in the U.S. Marine Band, which influenced John to begin studying music when he was six years old.

Biography about john philip sousa songs listen

He began studying violin, but eventually learned all the wind instruments. John Philip Sousa was very interested in being in a band, so when he was 13 years old, he tried to join a circus band. His attempt was unsuccessful and shortly afterwards, his father enlisted John in the Marine Band in Washington, D.C., where he stayed for 8 years.

In 1875, Sousa began performing as a violinist, going on tour and eventually landing positions as a theater orchestra conductor.

It was in the theater that he met his wife, Jane Van Middlesworth Bellis who was a singer. They had 3 children who were musicians; John, Jane