John Philip Sousa for Monty Python's Flying Circus), "The Thunderer" and "The Washington Post". Sousa began his career playing violin and studying music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix Benkert. His father enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as an apprentice in 1868. After departing the band in 1875, Sousa learned to conduct. From 1880 until his death, he focused exclusively on conducting and the writing of music. He eventually rejoined the Marine Band and served there for 12 years as director. On leaving the Marine Band, Sousa organized his own band. Sousa aided in the development of
John Cleese the fourth season. Despite this, he remained friendly with the group, and all six began writing "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"; Cleese received a credit on three episodes of the fourth series which used material from these sessions, though he was officially unconnected with the fourth series. Cleese returned to the troupe to co-write and co-star in the Monty Python films "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", "Monty Python's Life of Brian" and "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life", and participated in various live performances over the years. From 1970 to 1973, Cleese served as rector of the University