Five Presidents Who Were Musicians

While President’s Day is a great time to learn more about our presidents and what they did for America, did you know some of our most famous presidents were talented musicians? It’s true! Here are five presidents who were musically inclined.

1. Thomas Jefferson – Even though Jefferson is most known for his work on the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, he still had time to hone his musical skills. Jefferson enjoyed singing and playing the cello, violin, and clavichord in his free time. He was also quoted saying that music was “the favorite passion of my soul”.
2. John Quincy Adams – The sixth president was a very talented flutist. It is also said that while he attended Harvard, he worked on composing musical works.
3. Abraham Lincoln – While winning the Civil War and ending slavery by writing the Emancipation Proclamation were some highlights from Lincoln’s time as president, did you know he also enjoyed playing the violin? He would often play when taking a break from his presidential duties.
4. Woodrow Wilson – Our 28th president also had a passion for the violin. He started playing as a child and then added singing to his abilities when he joined the glee club in college. It seems that even during his political career, he never lost his love for music. During the first World War, he said, “Music now, more than ever before, is a national need.”
5. Dwight D. Eisenhower – So technically, Eisenhower may not have been a musician, but he was a music lover. Known as a tough army general, Eisenhower also had a soft spot for musical theater. The Eisenhowers were the first to bring Broadway performers to the White House during an after-dinner program for Chief Justice Earl Warren in 1958. He was a lover of military musical ensembles.

Did you learn something new about these musical presidents? Let us know in the comments below.