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The United States Marine Band

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The President’s Own United States Marine Band is a professional wind ensemble that is apart of the United States Marine Corps. It is our nation’s oldest professional music ensemble. The mission of the ensemble is to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandment of the Marine Corps. The Marine Band has a long, rich history, with many premier musicians who have had their careers begin, grow, and flourish in this ensemble. As this ensemble serves as an outlet for many of our countries finest musicians to perform for our country.
The history and origins of this ensemble date back to July 11th, 1798, as President John Adams signed an Act of Congress reestablishing the United States Marine Corps. The act also, according to Master Gunnery Sergeant D. Michael Ressler, authorized a Drum Major, a fife major, and thirty-two drums and fifes. The two majors wore identical uniforms, as the Drum Major was considered to be the “Leader of the Marine Band”, while the Fife Major 's responsibility was to teach and train the fifers. The first drum major, leader, of the United States Marine Band was William Farr.
There was initially much difficulty finding and enlisting people to apart of this ensemble. According to former writer for the Marine Corps Times and the Navy Times, author Don Burzynski claims that a ten-dollar bounty was given to obtain musicians with an additional three hundred dollar anted up by Marine officers. But by a year later in 1799, the band was

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