South Dakota Day

South Dakota Day

Although South Dakota attained statehood on November 2nd, 1889 as our 40th state, its national day is observed April 26th. Rich in Native American history, South Dakota takes its name from both Lakota and Dakota tribes. The Verendrye brothers were the first Europeans...
Happy Birthday, Irving Berlin!

Happy Birthday, Irving Berlin!

Irving Berlin was born on May 11th, 1888 in Temun, Siberia. Born Israel Baline, his family fled to America in 1893 escaping Russian persecution of Jews while settling in Manhattan’s Lower East side. Without schooling or formal training, Berlin’s career began as a...
The “Jackie” Band

The “Jackie” Band

After receiving his commission in the US Navy, John Philip Sousa set to work with his 300 piece “Jackie” Band taking them around the country on tours to raise money for the war effort. Here Sousa conducts the band at a Liberty Loan Campaign in in...
Sousa’s Spaghetti Recipes

Sousa’s Spaghetti Recipes

October 17 is National Pasta Day. Here are John Philip Sousa’s recipes for Spaghetti and Polentas/Pelotas (meatballs). Three versions exist. One from 1907, 1916 and 1922. Try them all! POLENTAS, recipe by John Philip Sousa 1907 February 1907 issue of the...
Anniversary of the Sousa Band

Anniversary of the Sousa Band

September 26th marks the 130th anniversary of the initial concert of Sousa’s New Marine Band held at the Stillman Music Hall in Plainfield, NJ. This would be the first of more than 15,550 concerts that would follow over the next thirty nine years which included four...
Happy birthday, Arthur Pryor!

Happy birthday, Arthur Pryor!

Today, September 22nd, 1869 or 1870, marks the birth of Arthur Willard Pryor, who, due to his pyrotechnical abilities on the slide trombone, was crowned “trombone king;” or the “poet” or “Paganini” of the trombone while twelve years soloist with John Philip Sousa’s...