United States Marine Band

The United States Marine Band, colloquially known as "The President's Own", was established by an Act of Congress on July 11, 1798, and is America’s oldest professional musical organization. The U.S. Marine Band is the only musical unit that bears the title “The President’s Own” and whose mission is to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Today, "The President's Own" also includes the Marine Chamber Orchestra and Marine Chamber Ensembles.

Historical beginnings

The relationship between the Marine Band and the White House began on New Year’s Day in 1801, when President John Adams invited the Band to perform at the Executive Mansion. Later that year, Thomas Jefferson initiated one very important tradition by requesting that the Band perform for his Inaugural. The Marine Band has performed for every Presidential Inauguration since.

Today, the Marine Band performs more than 500 annual public and official concerts, appearing at the White House more than 300 times each year. The Marine Band also travels across the country each October and November during its fall concert tour, a tradition that began with 17th Director John Philip Sousa in 1891.

Performances

The Marine Band’s performance schedule is coordinated by the Marine Band Branch of Headquarters Marine Corps Public Affairs, which works directly with the Director of the Marine Band and the Marine Band Operations Office to schedule performances and ceremonies by the band, chamber orchestra, and chamber ensembles.

Members of the Marine Band’s professional support staff, including the Library, Recording Lab, Stage Managers, and Stage Crew, as well as the Administration, Public Affairs, and Supply offices also work to coordinate, promote, and facilitate performances throughout the year.

Performances by the Marine Band include:

• White House events including State Dinners and formal receptions
• Public concerts in the Washington, D.C., area and across the nation during their Fall Concert Tour
• Washington, D.C., area military and patriotic ceremonies
• Full Honors Funerals at Arlington National Cemetery
• Friday Evening Parades at Marine Barracks 8th & I in Washington, D.C.

Formats for ceremonial duties

The Presidential Inauguration

The Marine Band has participated in every Presidential Inauguration since Thomas Jefferson's in 1801. Inauguration includes a swearing-in ceremony and a parade, as well as other smaller celebrations and festivities throughout the afternoon and evening. The Marine Band is positioned at the U.S. Capitol for the President’s swearing-in ceremony and a 99-piece band marches in the parade. The band also performs for celebrations following the official ceremony and parade. Celebrations are typically divided by state and held at hotels and in large public spaces throughout Washington, D.C.

State funerals

The Military District of Washington Commander of Troops arranges the ceremonial preparations and for the funeral supervises the procession to the Washington National Cathedral in Northwest Washington, D.C. The Secretary of Defense conducts the funeral proceedings. A state funeral procession, composed of National Guard, active-duty, academy, and reserve personnel that represent the five branches of the armed forces, is a traditional component of a state funeral observance.

Military bands, including a 99-piece Marine Band, provide traditional music during each phase of the state funeral. Funeral processions in the nation's capital have honored ten presidents.

Arlington National Cemetery

Each time the United States Marine Corps honors its deceased service men and women in Full Honors Funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band participates in the ceremony.

During the funeral ceremony, the Marine Band will perform chorales and hymns on every occasion that the deceased is transferred or moved. When the escorts and funeral procession move the deceased from a chapel or transfer site to the final resting place, a drum cadence and funeral marches are performed. The Marines' Hymn is performed for the final transfer of the deceased onto the resting site. Following the Marines’ Hymn, the deceased receives final honors and three volleys, and a lone bugler from the Marine Band performs Taps. At the conclusion of the funeral ceremony, an American flag is folded and presented to the family of the deceased, during which the Marine Band performs the Navy Hymn, "Eternal Father, Strong to Save".

Marine Barracks Washington

Friday Evening Parades are held at Marine Barracks Washington, throughout the summer. This one hour and fifteen minute performance of music and precision marching, features "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, "The Commandant's Own" United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon. The ceremony begins at 8:45 p.m., with a concert by the United States Marine Band, and runs May through August.

Patriotic Opener

A 42-piece Marine Band is used for all Pentagon and formal military arrivals and patriotic openers for large events. Patriotic openers are 15 minutes of patriotic music, including the presentation and retirement of the colors, the National Anthem, and the Marines Hymn. Patriotic openers are performed throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area at a variety of events for military organizations, federal agencies, and associations.

Personnel

Directors

The first leader of the United States Marine Band was William Farr, who is listed in historical records as having served as Drum Major from Jan. 21, 1799. Although the Marine Band had both a Drum Major and a Fife Major during its early history—who wore identical uniforms—the Drum Major was considered the overall leader of the band.

After the retirement of Drum Major Raphael Triay in 1855, then-Fife Major Francis Scala assumed leadership of the Marine Band. An Act of Congress signed July 25, 1861, abolished the rank of fife major and created the positions of “Leader of the Band/Principal Musician” and “Drum Major.” Francis Scala was the first Marine Band musician to receive the title “Leader of the Band”.

The titles of First and Second Leader were changed sometime during the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration (1953-1961) to Director and Assistant Director. This happened under the leadership of William F. Santelmann or Albert F. Schoepper.

Assistant Directors

The earliest recorded Second Leader of the United States Marine Band, as they were known until the 1950s, was Salvador Petrola.

Marine Band cornetist Walter F. Smith, who performed under 17th Director John Philip Sousa, became the first official Second Leader when an Act of Congress established the positions of First Leader and Second Leader of the Marine Band in March 1899. The titles of First and Second Leader were changed sometime during the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration (1953-1961) to Director and Assistant Director.

When Albert F. Schoepper was appointed as Director in 1955, a second Assistant Director was added to the Marine Band leadership. Today, the Assistant Director positions are designated in two titles: Senior Assistant Director and Executive Officer, and Assistant Director.

Drum Majors

The early leadership of the Marine Band consisted of a Drum Major and a Fife Major. The Drum Major was considered the Leader of the Marine Band and the Fife Major’s responsibility was to train the fifers. In July 1861, President Abraham Lincoln signed an Act of Congress to reorganize the Marine Band, which created the positions of Leader, who was the principal musician, Drum Major, and 30 musicians. The title of Fife Major was abolished that year, and in 1881 the fife was removed from Marine Corps instrumentation.

Francis Scala, who was appointed Drum Major in 1855, became the first person to hold the official position of Leader/principal musician of the Marine Band. John Roach was selected as Drum Major.

Today, the Drum Major serves as the senior enlisted member of “The President’s Own” and is responsible for the band’s appearance, ceremonial drill, and military decorum. He is charged with directing the band in ceremonial commitments, including the Inaugural Parade, and regularly leads the band in review for U.S. Presidents, Heads of State, and international dignitaries. The Drum Major’s uniform is unique. He wears a bearskin headpiece and carries a mace, used to signal commands to the musicians. The Drum Major is also the only member of the President's Own who wears crossed rifles in his rank insignia, and is the only enlisted man in the Marine Corps who wears the officer's version of the Marine Corps Emblem. The ornate sash worn across his chest is called a baldric, and is embroidered with the band’s crest and the Marine Corps’ battle honors.

See also

• Service bands

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