Why did Sousa's band use sousaphones??

[windshieldbug]

Why did Sousa's band use sousaphones??

Because saxophones scared the horses.

[Kenton]

Sousa conducted on only 8 of the Sousa Band 1770 recordings , because he had a distaste for the sound of the early recordings. And, he didn't like radio much either, but he did do 38 of them.

But, I've never seen any indication that Sousa shifted to bell front sousas for these sessions. Has anyone seen any documentation that he did?

[windshieldbug]

In fact, an 1891 picture of the Marine band recording shows them with NO bell forward tubas, only bell upward.



Even Conn's first Sousaphones were raincatchers like this 1898 4-valver. It wasn't until later that they modified the shape for marching.



The only photographs that I am aware of including JPS and bell-front sousaphones are where he is guest-conducting someone else's band.

[tofu]

[lgb&dtuba]

Didn't Sousa's band only march like 3 times? Why did they use wrap-around tubas then instead of concert tubas?

They didn't always use sousaphones. The previous picture didn't show any sousaphones (that I could see). Follow this link, http://www.marineband.usmc.mil/imgs/sub ... ehotel.jpg and you'll see no sousaphones, either.

Take a look at that monster front row left.

[lgb&dtuba]

I couldn't resist one more picture.



I see 3 concert tubas and one rain catcher sousaphone there. The real intriguing question is how did they march with that harp.

Jim, "I know, I know." Wagner

[Kenton]

They worked, . . . sort of. It puts the bell in a rather uncomfortable position and really blocks your line of sight.

Here's King Eb example:

King-rain-display.jpg

[JCalkin]

Sousa conducted on only 8 of the Sousa Band 1770 recordings , because he had a distaste for the sound of the early recordings. And, he didn't like radio much either, but he did do 38 of them.

But, I've never seen any indication that Sousa shifted to bell front sousas for these sessions. Has anyone seen any documentation that he did?

I knew I was going to regret what I had types the moment I hit "submit".

I remember reading this SOMEWHERE once, or discussing it in a class, but can't attest to its validity or cite a source.

I'd like a new button added to TubeNet just for me, if possible:


Anywho, I retract my previous statement, but I'll leave it unedited in case someone comes along later who can verify it.

What I CAN tell you is that Sousa himself didn't participate in the recordings not only because he didn't like the quality, but also due to the fact that he had moral objections to recordings in general. He felt that the advent of recordings would result in the decline of at-home music making and a slowing down of musical development in America. I was thinking along the lines that the bell front Sousa may have come along to facilitate recordings even if not conducted, supervised (or even necessarily condoned) by the man himself.

I'm off now to do my penance (play some trombone).

[Bandmaster]

Sousaphone section of Sousa's Band.

[Uncle Buck]

Is the second from the right in this photo . . .

Sousaphone section of Sousa's Band.

. . . the same as this?

Sousaphone1898.jpg

[David Richoux]

Why did Sousa's band use sousaphones??

Because saxophones scared the horses. :P

Have you ever seen the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia? Those massed saxophones and banjo bands scare just about everybody!

[windshieldbug]

Is the second from the right in this photo . . . the same as this?

I'm not sure it's the same physical horn (there seem to be minute differences in the wrap), but it certainly seems to be the same model (36K if I remember)!

[windshieldbug]

Why did Sousa's band use sousaphones??

Because saxophones scared the horses.

Have you ever seen the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia? Those massed saxophones and banjo bands scare just about everybody!

Yes. Fully 98% of the bass saxophones still operational are in Philly.

[wtuba]

Is the second from the right in this photo . . .

Sousaphone section of Sousa's Band.

. . . the same as this?

Sousaphone1898.jpg

Don't know about the sousaphones, but the player of that one is Elvin L. (Jake) Freeman, who was my first teacher. Can anyone identify the rest of that iteration of the section?

Will Traphagan

[OldsRecording]

I couldn't resist one more picture.



I see 3 concert tubas and one rain catcher sousaphone there. The real intriguing question is how did they march with that harp.

Jim, "I know, I know." Wagner

Hmmm... it must have been something like Woody Allen playing the cello in Take the Money and Run.

[Wyvern]

Were there any tubas with as big a bell and throat as those raincatcher sousaphones at the time? Was not the whole purpose of them to produce a big broad tone under the Sousa band? Then only in the 20th century were 6/4 tubas produced specifically to be able to produce a similar broad sound in conventional tuba form?

Those are just my understandings, rather than facts, so would be interested if anyone can definitively answer!

[Kenton]

Here you go:

sousamen.jpg

[tofu]

[David Richoux]

Here you go:

sousamen.jpg

.

That photo really strikes me as funny looking. Those different sized men and Raincatchers look like something Dr. Seuss would have dreamed up.

Look in the center top of this photo (just above the harp-thing, you will see a rather interesting tuba/helicon mutant instrument.) Dr. Seuss designed the movie...
http://www.avantofestival.com/2005/k/ki ... ingers.jpg" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank