What would the Fourth of July be without the music of John Philip Sousa? From his iconic “The Stars & Stripes Forever” to stirring marches such as “The Washington Post,” “Semper Fidelis” and “The Thunderer,” the music of the “March King” will be everywhere this holiday weekend.
The composer, conductor and director of the U.S. Marine Band (known as “The President’s Own”) appeared in New Orleans several times during his life.
In April 1895, The Daily Picayune reported on his appearance at the Academy of Music, located at 414 St. Charles Ave. “As a conductor, Sousa stands in the foremost rank … As a composer, he is also far above the mediocre, the various marches from his pen …receiving new life and color under his baton,” the newspaper wrote…