A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.
John Phillip Sousa wrote the Stars and Stripes Forever in his head, on Christmas, 1896, aboard a passenger ship bound for the United States. Considered his finest march by many, it’s known for its piccolo obbligato. Congress, in 1987, declared the Stars and Stripes Forever America’s national march — proof that Congress doesn’t always make bad decisions. This performance by the U.S. Marine Band was recorded in 2009.