John Philip Sousa (1854-1932), or "The March King", was an iconic American composer and band master. He wrote several marches that are now American standards, such as The Stars and Stripes Forever and The Washington Post March.
Sousa joined the US Marine Band at age thirteen where he learned how to perform and compose marches. He began orchestrating Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, which were popular and gained approval from Gilbert and Sullivan themselves.
Sousa was appointed the conductor of the US Marine Band in 1880. He continued to compose marches and transcribed classical pieces for marching band. He eventually formed his own band, in which Meredith Willson played the flute and piccolo.
He composed more than 135 marches, 15 operettas, and 70 songs, plus other works.
Below are some examples of Sousa's marches, performed by the US Marine Band in 2009.
Also below is a transcription of Sousa's The Stars and Stripes Forever, a piece that is often transcribed for other ensembles or instruments.
References:
Bierley, P. e. & Hitchcock, H. w. (n.d.) Sousa, John Philip. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/subscriber/article/grove/music/A2259047
Bierley, P. e. & Hitchcock, H. w. (n.d.) Sousa, John Philip. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/subscriber/article/grove/music/A2259047