A Capital Boyhood

This chapter looks at John Philip Sousa's early education in Washington and his training as a member of the United States Marine Band. Looking back over his childhood, the March King remembered the 1860s as a period of adventure and the Navy Yard as a neighborhood that allowed youthful play to coexist with military pageantry. The soundtrack of this childhood was provided by military bands, some of which were accompanying Northern regiments to battle, while others were permanent residents of the city. The most important band was, of course, the Marine Band. By the age of thirteen he had largely committed himself to a career in music. He was helped along the way by a community of musicians that provided him with much more than playmates and an apprenticeship.