March 15, 2016 -- “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, began March 7 and is now a week into the first round of matches. There were few surprises as several pieces marched on to the second round while others remained behind, perhaps with a hope to do better in tournaments to come. The first four matches were dominated by Sousa’s marches, with “The Stars and Stripes Forever” and “Washington Post” easily defeating their respective opponents, Johann Strauss’ Radetsky March and Patrick Gilmore’s Famous 22nd Regiment March. Game two featured two Sousa marches against each other: “Semper Fidelis” and “Esprit de Corps.” Although a close battle, and neck and neck most of the time, “Semper Fidelis” jumped ahead at the end winning by just 46 votes. The one Sousa outlier occurred in the first match of the tournament where reigning champion Johannes Hansen’s Valdres, the 2015 March Mania winner, easily defeated “The March King’s” very first march, “Review.” Week two will find matchups including “Boys of the Old Brigade” vs. “Entry of the Gladiators” and “National Emblem” vs. “Entry March of the Boyares,” the 2014 March Mania winner.
“Sousa’s March Mania” will continue with new matches every day through April 6. 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 at facebook.com/marineband or marineband.publicaffairs@usmc.mil.
At the end of the tournament, anyone with a perfect bracket will be a winner of “Sousa’s March Mania” and will be named a “March King” for a day!
Vote now!
Download a Bracket
March Mania 2016 Playlist