Written by bandleader Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, this marching song expresses a person's longing for a loved one to come home from war. Some historians believe that "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" was inspired by an old Irish tune; however, there are those who think otherwise.

Music Education in the News: The NAMM Foundation's annual "‘Best Communities for Music Education" survey will be open for respondents beginning today, January 15, and will continue until March 13.

This Day in Music History: 1993 - Academy Award winning songwriter, Sammy Cahn, died in Los Angeles.

Also known as the "Father of the American Band," Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore was a respected bandmaster, concert soloist and songwriter. One of his famous works is "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," believed to have been inspired by an Irish marching song. The said song became popular during the Civil War era and was originally published under a pseudonym.

Music Education in the News: Singer-songwriter Sting will donate a bass guitar to the "No Strings Attached" campaign in London.

This Day in Music History: 1676 - Italian opera composer Francesco Cavalli died in Venice.

John Philip Sousa said, "I can almost always write music; at any hour of the twenty-four, if I put pencil to paper, music comes ." However, when it came to his most famous work, "The Stars and Stripes Forever" which he composed in his head while on board a ship, the chance to put it down to pen and paper came much later. Indeed, the story behind this patriotic march proves what a great composer Sousa really was.

Music Education in the News: Nintendo is collaborating with MENC, the National Association for Music Education, to bring Wii Music into the classrooms.

This Day in Music History: 1959 - The song "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,'' by The Platters was on top of the Billboard Pop Chart.

With its beautiful melody and powerful lyrics, "America the Beautiful" is considered by many as the unofficial national anthem of the United States. The melody was written in 1882 by Samuel A. Ward, while the lyrics were added 11 years later by Katharine Lee Bates.

Music Education in the News: The "Words & Music" program by the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum received a $1 million endowment from CMA.

This Day in Music History: 2003 - Maurice Ernest Gibb, singer-songwriter and member of the Bee Gees, passed away.