Sousa makes me sleepy

Original Post Date: March 19, 2007

I discovered something very interesting tonight at band rehearsal. I get extremely tired when I'm playing John Philip Sousa marches. Well, okay, not all of them. "Stars and Stripes Forever" is the coolest song in the history of the world. But, I'm just saying that because I'm a piccolo player and I've had that infamous (you know, more than famous) solo memorized since high school. But other stuff? Exhausting!! We're playing "Fairest of the Fair" for this concert. I don't think I have a single measure of rest in the whole song, and flutes don't have oom pahs or anything like that. Oh, no....we have a million and a half notes. This song isn't as bad as some. ("From Maine to Oregon" or whatever it's called, is torture!!!) But still! I'm done in by the end of the song. It's pretty intense.

I got no sympathy from my sister when I voiced this complaint. Shauna played the French Horn, you see. They had the "pahs" of the "oom pahs." She claims that there's a Sousa march where the horns don't change notes through the entire song! I have yet to confirm that, but I do know it's called "Riders of the Flag" and that it was renamed "Tacet" by the horns at Loveland High. Shauna claims that she was always exhausted after playing a Sousa march because she was so bored. Whatever.

I also learned something about Sousa tonight that will only mean anything to you if you are or were a music major, or if you're familiar with the "Dies Irae theme". Sousa apparently loved the Dies Irae theme and used it a lot. In fact, the first 4 notes of Stars and Stripes are, in fact, the Dies Irae theme. I find this fascinating! Okay, so maybe it's not that interesting, but I have to put my college degree to use sometimes.