John Philip Sousaâs (1854-1932) marches have been an embodiment of patriotism for Americans since the late 19th century. Dedicated to the Pan-American Exposition held in Buffalo, New York during 1901, Invincible Eagle is considered to be one of Sousaâs best marches.
Three different representations allow students to examine and explore the music. The top visualization presents a MIDI piano roll of the notes; the center version presents a spectrogram that depicts the overtone series, as well as volume; and the bottom version presents the amplitude. Each provides a different way of seeing that affords exploration and new understandings.
This transcription of Invincible Eagle is the result of a project in MUS 243: Introduction to Music Education Technology.
Working from a manuscript from The Sousa Archive and Center for American Music (SACAM), the students created a new score and parts edition with inputs from SACAM staff, faculty members at UIUC, as well as graduate student band directors.
The SACAM is part of the University of Illinois Library and University Archives, and it serves the university by acquiring and preserving significant archival records and historical artifacts in multiple media formats that document Americaâs local and national music history and its diverse cultures. More information is available online at: http://www.library.uiuc.edu/sousa/
Credits: This diagram is a revision of the VisualEyes project created by Keith Pitner and Jenina Kenessey. The revision was completed by Matthew Thibeault, text by Chee Kang Koh and Matthew. Released under the Creative Commons By-NC-ND 3.0 License.