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 Philip Sousa a rehearsal of "The Stars and Stripes Forever" the previous day with the Ringgold Band in its 80th Anniversary as its guest conductor, and attended a civic dinner at the hotel together with 100 leading citizens and all the members of the Lincoln Band. Sousa is buried in Washington, D.C.'s Congressional Cemetery. A school (John Philip Sousa Elementary) and a band shell were named after him and there was a memorial tree planted in nearby Port Washington, New York. "Wild Bank", his seaside house on Hicks Lane, has been designated a National Historic Landmark, although it remains a private home