Taylor Branson February 03 2011, 1 Comment
Contributed by Jack Kopstein
TAYLOR BRANSON
Born in Washington, D.C., 1880 - Died in Bethesda, Maryland, 1969
Taylor Branson was a native of Washington, D.C., who like his predecessor John Philip Sousa, seemed destined for a career in the U.S. Marine Band. His father was a country fiddler who read no music and wanted his son to become a "real musician." He arranged for the boy to study violin with Marine Band member William Santelmann, who would later direct said band for thirty years. After completing high school, Branson enlisted as a Marine Bandsman at the age of seventeen. He continued the study of violin (with Herman Rakemann) and began taking clarinet lessons with Andrea Coda and composition with Arthur S. Tregina, both members of the same band. He soon became concertmaster of the Marine Band Symphony Orchestra, serving as conductor during the Gridiron Club concerts. Branson was a pioneer in instrumental music broadcasting, conducting regular orchestral programs over NOF, the Naval Air Station, as early as 1919. He later introduced a radio program which was designed to benefit listeners who were invalids - the young announcer at the time was Arthur Godfrey. In 1921, Branson became second leader of the Marine Band and in 1927, he was appointed leader. In addition to American music, Branson programmed a great deal of music from other lands, including South America. One of his most prized awards, the "Cross of Boyaca," came from the Colombian Minister, Miguel Lopez Mumarejo, for his "untiring efforts in the promotion of closer cultural relations between the peoples of the Americas, by means of the diffusion of Latin American music in the United States." As a member of the prestigious Gridiron Club in Washington, Branson served as its musical director for over twenty-five years. He was also active as a guest conductor and adjudicator - in 1930, he was on the national high school panel which awarded first place to the Hobart High School Band, conducted by William D. Revelli. After serving with the Marine Band for over forty-one years, he retired with the rank of captain in 1940. At his death in 1969, Taylor Branson was survived by his wife, three daughters, and two sons. Most of Branson's marches were dedicated to the Marine Corps, including: Marine Corps Institute; General Lejeune; Tell It to the Marines; Marines of Belleau Woods; The President's Own; Eagle, Globe and Anchor; Headquarters, U.S.M.C.; and Marine Corps Reserves. Others include The Times Picayune Centennial and Benjamin Franklin University. (Information from Kenneth Berger, John Burroughs, Jim Mann, Albert F. Schoepper, and the U.S. Marine Band.)
Comments
Taylor Byrd on April 09 2014 at 10:36AM
Happy Thanksgiving! My name is Taylor Byrd and I was name after Captain Branson. My father’s mother was Ellen Branson Byrd of the District of Columbia as well. An aspiring musician, I went into my local music store in the Bronx (where I attend Fordham University) in order to find myself a cheap diatonic model. When I presented my task to the man at the store, where I also take lessons in guitar and piano, he immediately handed me an F# Diatonic Marine Band model with a cream case, red letters and none other than Captain Branson performing for Grover Cleveland on the White House Lawn in 1896.
I instantly recalled being handed the harmonica by father as a little boy in Rochester, N.Y, in another time and key, and being amazed by what my Great Grandfather, and namesake, had done.
My brother, Lt. Austin Byrd, has just returned from deployment in Afghanistan with the 3/8 Marines (unfortunately just past Thanksgiving with postdeployment duties) and I hope to get really good before I see him on Christmas. Thanks for reading. Any ideas for me?
The website listed is my father’s company.