When the musicians of “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band aren’t hailing the chief at the White House, honoring fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery, performing concerts in the DC metro area and across the country on tour, or in a practice room honing their craft, they can be found in schools, both live and virtually. The following educational resources are available for free from the Marine Band:

Marine Band Concerto Competition for High School Students

“The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band, in conjunction with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, hosts an annual Concerto Competition for high school students. The winner will appear as a guest soloist with the U.S. Marine Band and receive a $2,500 scholarship from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. The runner up will receive a $500 scholarship. The deadline for applications each year is Nov. 15. Please visit www.marineband.marines.mil/About/Concerto-Competition for more information.

Open Rehearsals

Observing a Marine Band or Marine Chamber Orchestra rehearsal provides young musicians and educators the opportunity to see and hear how a professional musical ensemble works together with the conductor to create a cohesive musical experience. To sign up to observe a rehearsal in the John Philip Sousa Band Hall in Washington, D.C., please visit www.marineband.marines.mil/educational.

Complete Marches of John Philip Sousa

“The President’s Own” United States Marine Band has released Volumes 1-3 of “The Complete Marches of John Philip Sousa.” This multi-year recording project, initiated by Director Col. Jason K. Fettig, is the Marine Band’s first comprehensive, chronological collection of Sousa’s marches since the 1970s. The mp3s of Volumes 1-3 are available for free download exclusively on the Marine Band website, along with scrolling videos and PDFs of the parts and full scores that include historical and editorial notes about each piece. Each march has been carefully edited and corrected by Col. Fettig and Music Production Chief Master Gunnery Sgt. Donald Patterson using some of the earliest known publications and incorporate performance practices employed by the Marine Band that are modeled on those of “The March King” himself. Download here: http://bit.ly/CompleteMarchesSousa1.

Sousa’s March Mania Kicks Off on February 26!

When it comes to the historical knowledge and performance of marches, especially for those written by John Philip Sousa, the United States Marine Band is considered a prime resource. That’s why, from Feb. 26 to March 28, “The President’s Own” will be hosting “Sousa’s March Mania,” a tournament pitting 32 marches against each other for the Marine Band online community to determine which one is the favorite. Each day, marches will compete head to head while fans vote which ones advance in the tournament. Participants can listen to the competing marches, download and print a tournament bracket, and vote for favorites on the Marine Band Facebook page. The winners of “Sousa’s March Mania” will be named “The March King” for a day! Please visit www.marineband.marines.mil/Unit-Home/Sousas-March-Mania.

Educational Discography

The Marine Band produces an annual CD recording which is made available to schools, radio stations, and libraries. The recordings are distributed free of charge to educational institutions, public libraries, and radio stations. To be added to the list to receive CDs currently in print, please visit: www.marineband.marines.mil/Educational. Once your request is processed, your organization will receive all Marine Band recordings in stock. Your organization will continue to receive new recordings as they are released.

Young People’s Concert

Each spring, the Marine Band or Marine Chamber Orchestra presents the Young People’s Concert. Director Col. Jason K. Fettig initiated this interactive and theatrical series in 2006 and has authored, hosted, and conducted the popular annual event since its inception. The band’s 2018 performance will take place on Sunday, April 15 and the band will be conducted by Assistant Director Capt. Ryan J. Nowlin. More information about the performance will be available in the 2018 Season Brochure.

YouTube

The Marine Band releases streaming albums and recordings of live performances on its YouTube channel regularly, as well as interviews with band members and historical vignettes. The latest educational video is “March Performance Practices for Euphonium,” featuring two of our euphonium players breaking down marches and talking through their musical choices. In addition, the online collection includes many out-of-print educational recordings which have previously only been available to schools and libraries. Many are live recordings never previously released by “The President’s Own.” Please visit http://bit.ly/USMBYouTube. 

Music in the Schools (MITS)

Each October, ensembles from the Marine Band present programs designed to introduce musical instruments and concepts to elementary school students throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Designed for grades 3-5, the 45-minute interactive presentations feature instrument demonstrations, explanations about how instruments produce sounds, instruction on musical terms, and a question and answer session. The musicians also perform a wide range of music geared specifically toward elementary school students. This year’s program will take place from Oct. 2-31 and is designed for grades 3-5. The 2017 ensemble options include brass quintet, string quartet, and woodwind quintet. Booking begins Sept. 5, and schools must be within a 15-mile radius of Washington, D.C. For information, email kristin.dubois@usmc.mil, call (202) 433-5813, or visit www.marineband.marines.mil.

Music in the High Schools (MITHS)

From February-March, musicians and vocalists from the Marine Band visit high school music programs throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area for sessions designed to entertain and challenge music students. The Marine Band ensembles and vocalists perform varied selections geared specifically toward high school level musicians participating in band, orchestra, or choral programs, and are not suitable for general assembly type audiences. The presentations include instruction and concepts, in addition to providing valuable guidance on chamber music performance. Demand for this program is high and bookings are made on a first come, first served basis starting in December. Schools must be within a 30-mile radius of Washington, D.C.

Live Stream Performances

The Marine Band live streams all performances from the Chamber Music Series at www.marineband.marines.mil and www.youtube.com/usmarineband. Programs will be posted on our online calendar usually two weeks before the performance: http://www.marineband.marines.mil/Calendar.aspx.