Poster The U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra
The U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra performed the concert "Titans," featuring Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 1 in D, in Alexandria, Va. President Thomas Jefferson gave the Marine Band its title, "The President's Own."
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Rust/released

Learning to Listen: Music for Presidents Day

Learning to Listen: Music for Presidents Day

Did you know: President number three, Thomas Jefferson, was a top-notch amateur violinist? He played a little ditty with the U.S. Marine Band that would later have words added to it by Francis Scott Key — and would later be sung to varying degrees of success at thousands of sporting events (it's "The Star Spangled Banner.")

President number 16, Abraham Lincoln, couldn't hold a tune, but he attended the opera regularly during the Civil War to clear his head.

President number 33, Harry Truman, could read music like a newspaper, so he took miniature scores with him to the National Symphony and followed along.

And maybe most notable was President number 37, Richard Nixon, who played piano like a pro and even wrote his own music.

On this week's Learning to Listen, find out more about our nation's top leaders and their musical interests on Presidents Day.

Program Playlist

Hail to the Chief

Williams/Air and Simple Gifts

Sousa/ Easter Morning on White House Lawn

Haydn/Piano Sonata

Joplin/Maple Leaf Rag

Bach/Prelude

Shostakovich/Symphony No. 1 (1st mvt)

Barber/Adagio

Ibert/Sax Concerto (mvt 1)

Copland/Lincoln Portrait (excerpt to end)

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