Washington, DC -- As the first round of Sousa’s March Mania 2018 nears an end, here is a recap of the competition so far. The first four matches featured the competition’s four previous winners each moving on to the next round of Sousa’s Sixteen. While “Stars and Stripes,” “Valdres,” and “Entry March of the Boyares” each easily won their matches, the 2017 winner Athletic Festival March eked out a win against John Philip Sousa’s relatively unknown, but underdog favorite march, “Right-Left.” The lesser known march has become fairly popular and almost pulled off a big upset, but just couldn’t finish.
This year’s competition featured four marches by composer John Williams: Midway March, Raider’s March, March of the Resistance, and March from 1941. The first three Williams marches handily won their matches moving on to the next round. However, while March from 1941 battled mightily, it just couldn’t beat E.E. Bagley’s very popular “National Emblem.” Other matches saw Sousa’s popular marches “The Liberty Bell” and “Semper Fidelis” advancing, while the March King’s “El Capitan” and Mikado March each lost significantly to Samuel Barber’s “Commando March” and Julius Fucik’s “Entry of the Gladiators,” respectively. In the battle of the presidents, former Marine Band director William H. Santelmann’s Thomas Jefferson March showed no mercy to William H. Woodin’s Franklin D. Roosevelt March, defeating it by more than double. Finally, Louis Saverino’s March of the Women Marines just couldn’t muster up enough votes to conquer Charles S. Belsterling’s March of the Steelmen.
The first round still has two more matches to complete and then it’s on to the round of Sousa’s Sixteen where previous champions can have the opportunity to prove dominant again and underdogs can come from behind to surprise everyone and bust some brackets. After all, it’s “March Mania” and the fun is just beginning!
“Sousa’s March Mania” will continue with new matches every day through March 28. Participants can visit the Marine Band website to listen to the competing marches, download and print a tournament bracket, and vote for favorites. Participants are also invited to share completed brackets with the Marine Band via Facebook, Twitter, or marineband.communication@usmc.mil.
At the end of the tournament, anyone with the winning march on their bracket will be named a “March King” for a day!
Vote now!
Download a bracket
March Mania 2018 Playlist