Music Lessons in Washington DC

Washington D.C.has one of the longest musical histories in the nation and has helped cultivate several genres of music, making it an ideal locale for taking lessons. DC’s rich heritage of music began with the U.S. Marine Band (formed in 1798), which boasts the accomplishment of being the oldest musical group in the country. Conductor John Philip Sousa took charge of the band in 1880 and went on to write over 100 marches and forever influence the world of marching and concert bands. In addition to Sousa’s contributions, American music pioneer Duke Ellington also hailed from DC. Upon his death in 1974, Washington DC opened the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, a powerhouse for educating and producing local musicians using the lessons learned throughout the area’s rich history. Other notable musicians to call DC home are Marvin Gaye, Peter Tork, Joan Jett and Neil Young, to name a few. The multitude of popular music genres in the nation’s capitol increases the variety and quality in taking lessons here.