At the middle of the nineteenth century, revolutionary change swept through the American musical scene. A new generation of musical instruments made brass band music available to every community. Small ensembles equipped with the new Saxhorns, named for the inventor Adolphe Sax, made music everywhere and at every occasion. These cheap, durable instruments were ideal for performing outdoors, and required less maintenance than the traditional woodwind and string instruments used in the symphony. Every American town had at least one brass Band.
"The musician's art is to send light into the depths of men's hearts."
- Robert Schumann
The Civil War, which took place while the brass band movement was flourishing, helped make the music even more popular. Union and Confederate soldiers marched to the beat of brass bands, and the soldiers loved the tunes they heard on the road, on the parade ground, around the campfire, on the dance floor, and on the battlefield. Band music played a significant role in reducing desertions, keeping morale up, and giving hope to so many weary souls in a time of great need.
“I don’t believe we can have an army without music.”
- General Robert E. Lee, 1864
