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“There is a vim about the Sousa march as played by the Sousa Band that sets the blood a-tingling, and you feel that you could march anywhere to such virile music.” These words, penned in 1911, capture the mesmerizing effect of a Sousa concert. Sousa himself never disclosed the techniques that produced this effect, nor are they discernable on the printed page. Although former members of Sousa’s band shared many of these interpretive strategies following Sousa’s death, modern performers are largely unfamiliar with this body of knowledge.
This presentation surveys elements of march performance practice, drawing on interviews, publications, and recordings by Sousa’s musicians, to encourage authentic performances of marches composed after the Sousa model. Topics include the origins of the march, tempo, rhythmic accuracy, articulation, ornamentation, phrasing, re-orchestration, percussion equipment and technique, interpretive considerations, and how Sousa’s training as a violinist shaped his approach to composing and performing marches.
Timothy Kaiser
Timothy Kaiser
Timothy Kaiser serves as Director of Instrumental Activities and Assistant Professor of Instrumental Music Education at Oklahoma Baptist University. In this capacity, he oversees all artistic, educational, and administrative aspects of the Instrumental Studies area, conducts the OBU Symphonic Winds and OBU/Shawnee Community Orchestra, teaches upper-division music education courses, and supervises student teachers.
Dr. Kaiser’s professional experience encompasses all ensemble types at all levels of instruction. He maintains an active schedule as a conductor and speaker, with engagements in North and South America, Europe, and Australia. His presentations on curriculum and rehearsal pedagogy have been featured at over 20 state music education conferences. Recent research is slated for publication by the International Society for the Research and Promotion of Wind Music, Universal Edition Vienna and Oxford University Press.
Dr. Kaiser holds degrees from The University of Arizona, The University of Texas at Arlington, and University of the Pacific. His professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, National Band Association, International Society for the Research and Promotion of Wind Music, World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, and Society of Pi Kappa Lambda.
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