I firmly believe that we have more latent musical talent in America than there is in any other country. But to dig it out there must be good music throughout the land, a lot of it. Everyone must hear it, and such a process takes time.

On leaving the Marine Band Sousa organized his own band. He organized The Sousa Band the year he left the Marine Band. Because of his mastery of march composition he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J.

His father eventually enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as an apprentice in 1868. John Philip Sousa (/ˈsuːsə/; (November 6 1854 – March 6 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military and patriotic marches. Sousa began his career playing violin and studying music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix Benkert.