Digital Rehearsal Hall: The Stars and Stripes Forever - John Philip Sousa

[@brucekuehn4031]

Explaining in great detail a very familiar march is quite interesting. I think one of Col Fettig’s gifts is his ability to put musical ideas into English so that his band (and us in the audience) can understand him. He never seems to be at a loss for descriptive words.

[@jaeinnmoon3279]

🤦🏻‍♂️dude, really… Have you ever sat in on high level youth orchestra rehearsals, every good conductor does the same as Col Fettig. If you ever sat in on any high level master classes, they all do the same… When Yannick Nézet-Séguin of Philadelphia Orchestra was guest conducting my son’s youth orchestra rehearsal, he did the same thing. They all try to convey certain character and color to the music interpretation of their own. This is why even with same orchestra and same music, different conductor will present the same music differently…

[@brucekuehn4031]

@@jaeinnmoon3279 I’ve been around a lot of rehearsals. And master classes. I’m just saying that the Colonel does it very well and I enjoy these Digital Rehearsal Halls. Dude.

[@jaeinnmoon3279]

@@brucekuehn4031 - well, you never sound like someone who has ever heard or sat in on rehearsals given out by the likes of Giancarlo Guerrero, Yannick, or anyone else at that level. Or, any Curtis trained conductors will do the same…. that is to say, my son’s youth orchestra conductor was a Curtis grad, and he did the same at every weekly rehearsal.

[@tomreece8732]

@@jaeinnmoon3279 It's not a dick-swinging contest, he's just saying he has a good method of explanation. Remember, these videos are for all, not just the elite.

[@usmarineband]

Thank you for listening Bruce. We appreciate the support!

[@susanbarryfurrer6905]

Another Sousa 'trick' not mentioned in this wonderful presentation is not only cutting out the soprano melody instruments at the trio, but dropping the clarinets down an octave to play in unison with the euphoniums. What a great way to celebrate the quasquicentennial of our national march! Thank you very much!

[@Radionut]

I have no idea what you just said but it sounds OK to me

[@SmartStart24]

Indeed.

[@Crown_678]

@@Radionut basically saying that they cut out the higher, “shriller” instruments and drop the mellow sound of the clarinets to match and play in unison with the warm sound of the euphoniums, making this smooth, connected melody

[@breadenjoyer7986]

I’m such a big fan of these in depth analysis videos

[@usmarineband]

Glad you are enjoying them!

[@carolpearson6179]

There is nothing I love better than a good Sousa number to get the toe tapping. Stay safe and God bless.

[@JamieTucker1974]

Totally love this! I didn't know that Sousa liked to change things up a bit in his marches. Before I got my cochlear implants, I could NOT hear the piccolo parts in the last strain of the march. Not even with a hearing aid. Now that I have cochlear implants in both of my ears, I can hear those piccolos PERFECTLY and that includes hearing the differences in articulation. There is a huge difference when you take the bounce out of the playing of the piece. I definitely LOVE the way all of the parts are played and come together the way Sousa intended. As a trombone player, I still love the trombone parts in about all of Sousa's marches I played when I was in band during my High School days!

[@usmarineband]

Wow, thanks for sharing!

[@brichpmr]

The quality of the band and especially Col. Fettig's skill in communicating musical concepts are simply wonderful and illuminating. A number of us 'older' viewers grew up with the legendary "Hail Sousa" recording by William D. Revelli and his University of Michigan Symphony Band...from the 1960s on vinyl. That source along with this awesome video are, IMHO, indispensable for anyone who wants to understand the genius of Sousa. Please keep these rehearsal videos coming!

[@carlbehr4909]

On the "Hail Sousa" LP, Revelli plays every march way too fast. Almost as if he was trying to prove what technical experts his musicians were. Get yourself a copy of Fennell's Eastman Wind Ensemble playing Sousa and I think you will prefer it to Revelli.

[@susanbarryfurrer6905]

Another good resource is "Sousa Marches in Hi-Fi" by The Goldman Band with both Edwin Franko and Richard Franko Goldman conducting. For these sessions, several former members of Sousa's Band were present including legendary bass drummer Gus Helmecke. I believe these were the closest (at the time) to Mr. Sousa's intentions when presented to the public.

[@walterweigert9840]

Hi USMB, greetings from Argentina. I´m always amazed how "warm" the brasses sound in US bands. I have never heard that kind of "round" brass sound down here in any band (civil or military). When the conducter said J. P. Sousa included a tango rythm it was no surprise to me since both tango and most of military marches have the same: 2/4. It was truly a joy to listen through all that detailed explanation on how the author imagined this iconic march; Thank you Sir. I wish all of you the best; again: greetings from NE Patagonia, Argentina.

[@DennisJohnsonDrummer]

This should be required inservice training for all young band directors (and older). What a concept- an inservice training that just might improve the teaching effectiveness of a teacher. Such a great resource.

[@JaredAF]

These digital rehearsals are great. Stars and Stripes Forever is my favorite American march.

[@teehughey]

Absolutely beautiful, thank you for this. Thank you for your service to our country. Music is a very powerful tool. It can bring together a nation or it can destroy it. I wish for everyone to start listening to positive music again. We have lost our national identity and need to restore it.

[@roywilt3621]

What I love about Col. Fettig's analysis is his insights into the process of composing. I've got some ideas from this session on what I can and should consider when writing my own music. Always a pleasure to listen!

[@davidturk6170]

This explanation gives a great perspective of the expertise of musicians. A note is not just a note. Excellent results by the best of the best.

[@ThankYou-bn6bp]

I’ve been following many other military bands, all of whom produce really helpful educational videos. But this is the first one I’ve seen where this classic piece is broken down and explained in such detail. I’m so grateful! Cheers to the Marine Band!

[@pickngrining]

This is so great for middle and high schools band members to see, hear, and understand the March style. Thank you!! More more more :)

[@anthonynsw]

Thank you, Col. Jason Fettig and the US Marine Band for this explanation. This should be compulsory viewing for every music student who wants to understand Sousa. And to the many music educators in the world, to emulate Col. Fettig in his explanation to non-musicians. Truly living up to the US Marines motto.

[@balkibartokomous]

you guys sound flawless, amazing!

[@mattmezger]

This Is My Favorite March Of All Time. Thank You WRCJ For Introducing me To This March.

[@paulsemprit820]

Beyond perfection😍

[@Cyberfender1]

Not too bad for a Marine. Well done! Thanks. American original! So proud.

[@michaelfoxbrass]

Wow - there so much to consider in the shaping of this march’s interpretation and performance. Thank you for producing this highly-instructional and revealing video!

[@golfhack3581]

Thank you so much for spending the time doing this! I'm sure all the members of the band have this great march memorized after playing it a 1000 times or more. I think there are way too many bands just playing the notes without really getting it right - what J.P. Sousa was really looking for. It's our National March and we should spend necessary rehearsal time to get it right. Thank you again.

[@manondumouchel5298]

Beautiful .. Today I learned how are great and important the strings with characters make a great performance.. thank you Band for your wonderful music.. I love to hear you all

[@alangardella5047]

I just found this. You are doing what I love to do - dissenting a song to the most elemental notes. I have done this for decades and nobody understood me. My first one was the theme to Bonanza, and my brother couldn't understand what I was trying to tell him.

[@hobnob4224]

Oh this is just wonderful! I use this to march around the breakfast table for my morning exercise. And the melodious trio? It is indeed a song and here are the words: Be kind to your fine feathered friends, For a duck may be somebody's mother. Be kind to your friends in the swamp, Where the weather is very very damp. Enjoy!

[@BrianBisetti]

You may think that this is the end But it isn’t, ‘cuz we have another ending And this is it

[@paulschmolke188]

Fantastic restoration👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@jh9855]

This video was awesome! Bravo!

[@MusicHandsAbrupt]

Notice how disciplined the troops are in the background. Are they not allowed to move? Are they breathing?

[@michaelfoxbrass]

Professional musicians. They are also Marines. Discipline and focus is their hallmark!

[@robertorodriguezsr9518]

Loving your explanation. Loved the 1-2 and then goes to 2-1 really got me like forever, until now.

[@donblanton2181]

Really like the marine band. Love this Rehearsal haul series.

[@The_mini_farm]

That was fabulous!

[@AWWx2]

Brilliant performance and brilliant explanation of Souza's ideas, concepts, themes rhythms, and tonalities by the esteemed band leader. I learned more from this than I learned from rehearsing it and performing it dozens of times in high school and college bands some 50+ years ago. Thank you to the entire band for this wonderful KZbin video.

[@산곡동뻥튀기장수]

It's marvelous! Wonderful !

[@lawrencedavin5113]

The content I have been waiting for!!!!!!

[@juancarlossalazar2280]

Thank you for this awesome video!!

[@mariotiago3161]

Muito boa a explicação da marcha. A forma e estrutura da obra. A marcha é muito bonita.

[@marcelouz1]

Any doubts on the articulation and dynamics regarding to this beautiful march, but I don't know what the harp does , it is a delicate sound perhaps nobody realizes in the audio that this instrument is over there. In any case a Great rehearsal.

[@AvGeekW159]

In Sousa’s he had it front and center to have a fixed pitch instrument to keep everyone steady. It often read reduced scores, playing the bass and upbeats. Later in his career Sousa started writing unique parts, like the arpeggios in Stars and Stripes

[@marcelouz1]

Ok, thanks

[@jimmymiller5465]

I would really love to hear a rehearsal of Sousa’s King Cotton March!!!

[@robertopartipilo1768]

Una delle migliori marce di John philip sousa

[@kameron2136]

Rah, Sir. Great video!

[@arleighburkeclassdestroyer1240]

Semper Fi! keep up marines!

[@klajai]

Wonderful performance and explain. Not fully understand cause boundary of language but I did learn alot in between. I still try to figure how to play piccolo part, someday I will. Greeting from Chiang Mai, Thailand.

[@wnbands]

Thank you so much for making these videos; they are great to watch. I look forward to seeing more of these in the future! 😊

[@IanCurls123]

I have the French horn part stuck in my head lmao

[@johnmcallistermusic]

This is awesome

[@albieh2563]

What a magnificent video. What a magnificent band. Why does the Eb Soprano Clarinet player have a different "uniform"?

[@salvatoresquadrito109]

Musica!!!!

[@BANDLDR]

It’s subjective, but I really enjoy the unhurried tempo for this march that frequently gets played too fast for my taste.

[@carlbehr4909]

As a "serious" amateur musician (trombone), I've performed this march in concert at least 100 times. At least half the time, it seems like the conductor takes the tempo too fast. There is an old video of Bernstein and NY Phil. playing Stars and Stripes and Lenny plays it about twice as fast as Sousa intended it to be played.

[@Karlinberlin1]

I don't think there's another band in history that plays near the Rivelli Michigan bands as this great band does.

[@donaldvierimaa9307]

Wow!

[@richardlewis1969]

Semper Fi 🇺🇸

[@johnstreet1812]

If The Stars and Stripes Forever doesn't give you goosebumps, you are living in the wrong country!

[@brockseeman7808]

18:00 mind blown

[@oliverbarratt7899]

I’ve just found this channel after attending a national band festival. I really like the detail that you go into with this piece. Any plans to visit New Zealand in the near future?

[@pwillieb]

The only thing missing was a description of the French Horn parts... how they keep the time and provide the basics of the march. Afterbeats in a march are monotonous to play but extremely important to the whole idea.

[@jamesjacobsen7579]

United States Marine Band - Love this video! What are the instruments that are left out on the 2nd strain?

[@vishalchauhan1759]

💖

[@spencerho6911]

Awesome rehearsal and run-down. Jeff Bezos post-Amazon is up to great stuffs! Jokes aside, thanks for bringing the life and ideas of Sousa to the forefront.

[@JoseLuisOchoaPadilla]

It's a magnificent explanation and performance! But... I'd like to hear the final trombone line by itself... :(

[@edcew8236]

I have no idea why there is a harp in a military band. It certainly can't be heard when anything else is playing... Learned a ton from this presentation! As a singer, though, I thought that the trio could have used more phrasing on the long notes in particular.

[@robertlivingston6964]

What about the French Horns? an after thought?

[@thomasfortnerconductor]

thanks for making this deep dive @usmarineband !

[@chandananimalsepala7825]

🇺🇸🎧🇺🇸

[@DB_Mssgr]

18:43

[@douglasfur3808]

Schottische or tango?

[@twiiii1]

I continually amazes how much better the band plays with the Colonel directing than with the other assistant directors. The latest posting with the Major conducting had some terrible intonation problems between the flutes piccolo and the clarinets. Even the trumpet section had issues. Something you never hear with the Colonel conducting. Listening to the Colonel conducting the Stars and Stripes is a totally different experience, with the band following the Colonel as shown here where with the Major conducting it was as if listening to a College band. All the key elements are re-enforced with the Colonel conducting and not so with the Major.

[@Altocleftenorclef]

Weird seeing a harp player during March music

[@Thedearster]

Pronounced "Soo-Sa, not "Soo-Zuh."

[@pkrnger]

For this being “The President’s Own” US Marine Band, I expected to see some evidence of cultural and ethnic diversity among the musicians. I believe this elite ensemble could be more representative of the diversity of our country as a whole (and of those who serve in the US Marines). The absence of musicians of color in this ensemble is quite remarkable, especially for this modern day in age. As an example, compare the “President’s Own” to the make-up of professional musicians who presently make up our major symphony orchestras, such as the San Francisco, Cleveland, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and National Symphonies, etc.

[@carlbehr4909]

The President's Own, as well as the other Washington service bands, have been trying for years to recruit more "diverse" members into their bands. But these bands also have extremely tough auditions and high standards. The Marine Band is not going to pass an inadequate musician through an audition for the sake of "diversity". You have a very jaundiced view of the world if you believe it is more important that a musician have the "right" color of skin or the "right" ethnic background than to perform on his/her instrument to the highest possible standard. And for your information, all of the Washington service bands conduct "blind" auditions. The musician is behind a screen and cannot be seen by those listening to the audition.

[@pkrnger]

@@carlbehr4909 Sorry, I don’t buy your logic at all. Modern-day professional symphony orchestras exhibit much more diversity among their musicians than I see in this ensemble. Those professional orchestras also have extremely high standards and conduct “blind” auditions and perform highly challenging musical compositions. I cannot accept the premise that the blatant lack of diversity is because highly talented musicians of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds are somehow judged to be “inadequate.” Compare the diversity of the musicians in this video to those in the National Symphony, just for example.

[@carlbehr4909]

@@pkrnger About 25 years ago, the Detroit City Council had learned that the Detroit Symphony Orchestra did not have sufficient black musicians on their roster (probably not a single one). Because the Symphony invoked the name "Detroit" the City Council decreed that the symphony must employ enough black musicians to properly reflect the racial make up of the city of Detroit. At that time, Detroit's population was about 80% black which would require about 75 orchestra members would then need to be selected exclusively because of their race to be employed by the Detroit Symphony [can you see where this is going, Owen?] The Orchestra management tried to beg off telling the council that there weren't that many black musicians in the entire country qualified to play at the level of a major symphony orchestra. Eventually, the issue was quietly dropped; I believe when the mayor was indicted for racketeering and nepotism. At any rate, after 25 years of urgent recruiting and auditioning, the DSO now employs three black musicians on their roster (cello, bassoon and trombone). And another thing, Mr. Hoffman. Try looking up the President's Own on their website: www.marineband.marines.mil/ Look under the "about members" tab and see the entire member ship of the band. I count nearly two dozen members and staff that are "other than white" people. Is that enough to satisfy your "logic"? Oh, one more thing, Owen. I looked up photos of the National Symphony musicians and there was one, uno, singular, solo black musician (tympanist). Quite a few folks who might have been Korean, Chinese or Japanese but the majority of them were not American citizens. The last time I checked, you must be an American citizen and be able to acquire a security clearance to become a member of the Marine Band. If this is such an urgent issue for you, try calling or e-mailing Colonel Jason Fettig. I'm sure he'd love to spend a few hours of his time explaining to you why you just don't get it.

[@pkrnger]

@@carlbehr4909

[@carlbehr4909]

@@pkrnger You are impervious to facts and logic, Owen. There is no point in trying to explain the facts to you. Your mind is made up based entirely on your emotional reaction to reality. Good luck Mr. Hoffman. You really need it.

[@ravizachry4805]

The ratty sunflower increasingly stare because visitor bailly fail versus a left glockenspiel. ultra, sore visitor