Established by an Act of Congress in 1798, the United States Marine Band is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization.

President John Adams invited the Marine Band to make its White House debut on New Year’s Day, 1801. In March of that year, the band performed for Thomas Jefferson’s inauguration; it is believed that it has performed for every presidential inaugural since. An accomplished musician himself, Jefferson recognized the unique relationship between the band and the Chief Executive, and he is credited with giving the Marine Band its title, “The President’s Own.”

Whether performing for State Dinners or South Lawn arrivals, events of national significance, or receptions, Marine Band musicians appear at the White House an average of 200 times each year. The diversity of music presented at the Executive Mansion makes versatility an important requirement for its members. Musicians are selected at auditions much like those of major symphony orchestras, and enlist in the US Marine Corps for permanent duty with the Marine Band. Today’s members are graduates of the nation’s finest music schools, and more than 60 percent hold advanced degrees in music.

In addition to its White House mission, “The President’s Own” performs an annual season of indoor concerts and a popular outdoor summer concert series on the National Mall. Musicians from the band are frequently highlighted in solo performances and participate in more intimate chamber ensemble recitals. Marine Band musicians also perform in many different types of ceremonies and events throughout the Washington metropolitan area.

Each fall, the Marine Band travels across a portion of the continental United States during its concert tour, a tradition initiated in 1891 by “The March King” John Philip Sousa, who was the band’s legendary 17th director. Since Sousa’s time, the band’s musical reach has extended beyond America’s borders, most recently completing tours of Europe and Japan.

While the Marine Band is firmly dedicated to preserving the unique musical traditions established over its long history, it is equally committed to serving as a leading ensemble in the development of new repertoire for winds, premiering commissions almost annually. Given its status among American musical organizations, “The President’s Own” continues to attract prominent guest conductors from major orchestras around the globe.

The Marine Band’s integral role in the national culture and in the government’s official life has affirmed the importance of the arts as a bridge between people. Since 1798, the Marine Band’s mission has been to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. As the only musical organization with that mission, the Marine Band looks to the future, viewing its history and tradition as the foundation upon which to build its third century of bringing music to the White House and to the American people.

Colonel Jason K. Fettig is the 28th director of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. He joined in 1997 as a clarinetist and was selected as an assistant director in 2001. He assumed leadership of “The President’s Own” in July 2014 and was promoted to his present rank in August 2017 in the Roosevelt Room by President Donald Trump. As director, Col. Fettig is the music adviser to the White House and regularly conducts the Marine Band and Marine Chamber Orchestra at the Executive Mansion. In 2014, he was elected as a member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association.

Col. Fettig has led the band for major national events and broadcasts at the White House and across the country. He has regularly collaborated in performance with world-class artists in a range of genres, from pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet to pop superstars Jordin Sparks and Lady Gaga. He has continued to bring renowned guest conductors to the podium of “The President’s Own,” including JoAnn Falletta, Bramwell Tovey, and John Williams. In May 2019, in partnership with the All-Star Orchestra conducted by Gerard Schwarz, Col. Fettig and the Marine Band won an Emmy Award for a program entitled New England Spirit.

Col. Fettig has long been deeply committed to music education. He began an interactive Young People’s Concert series in 2006, and has spearheaded a remarkable expansion of the band’s online educational resources and productions, including an innovative new video series, Digital Rehearsal Hall. In 2014, Col. Fettig launched an ambitious project to re-record all of the marches of John Philip Sousa, and provide free performance and educational materials online to schools and ensembles worldwide. In addition, Col. Fettig remains a fervent advocate for contemporary American music and has commissioned and/or conducted the world premieres of nearly three dozen works.

First Lieutenant Darren Y. Lin joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in July 2019 as a percussionist. He was appointed assistant director in July 2021 and commissioned to his current rank in January 2022.

First Lt. Lin is a 2009 graduate of Hershey High School in Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor’s degree in percussion performance and a teacher’s certificate in 2014 from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in percussion performance and literature in 2016 from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, and pursued additional studies at the New England Conservatory. His principal percussion teachers have been J. William Hudgins of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Michael Burritt of the Eastman School of Music, and Joseph Gramley and Jonathan Ovalle of the University of Michigan. He also has studied conducting with Christopher James Lees, Michael Haithcock, and Rodney Dorsey.

Prior to joining “The President’s Own,” First Lt. Lin was an active educator and performer. He was the adjunct instructor of percussion at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania, and performed frequently with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, New Haven Symphony Orchestra, and New World Symphony. He has performed under the batons of Valery Gergiev, Michael Tilson Thomas, Andris Nelsons, and JoAnn Falletta. He is equally at home performing contemporary classical music, having performed with the NakedEye Ensemble, and both founding and leading the group [sunflower]. He has worked closely with composers Steve Reich and John Luther Adams, and has premiered works by Dave Hollinden, Molly Joyce, Angélica Negrón, Randall Woolf, and Chris Vu.