In a rare detour into research and writing that is not explicitly about the history of the tuba, I was asked, gosh, almost three years ago now, if I would contribute to an academic book on American band history as a way to honor two senior musicologists, Raoul Camus and Frank Cipolla.
As luck would have it, I had recently been exploring the transition time between P. S. Gilmore and his famous band and the launch of John Philip Sousa's new civilian band, and felt there was a story there (side note: the first Sousaphonist, Herman Conrad, played in both bands). I now had a reason to really dig into that research! Bryan Proksch, the editor who reached out to me, loved the idea, and he brought me on board - even though I was not a professor or the type of scholar who normally contributes to such a work as this. I was honored.
My chapter is titled, "From Gilmore to Sousa: How One Legendary Bandmaster Gave Rise to Another." While it is not my favorite bit of writing (the constraints of academic writing take most of the fun out of telling a story!), it is, in many ways, groundbreaking research that provides a great deal of insight into a pivotal moment in American band history.
Click here if you would like to know more about the book, which is scheduled to be published in March 2024 (yes, it has been a looooong process!). While the hardcover will cost you an arm-and-a-leg (as academic books tend to do), the ebook is far more reasonable. Enjoy!
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