Examining and Contextualizing Formal and Stylistic Elements in the Marches of Frank Simon

Abstract

Cornetist, composer, and educator Frank Simon (1889-1967) was a pivotal figure in the history of American bands and, due to his presence on radio, a household name. However, virtually no scholarly attention has been devoted to his march compositions, five of which have lain in obscurity in the University of Arizona’s Frank Simon Memorial Instrumental Library for over half a century.The present study, conducted with access to this archived material, resulted in full-score performance editions of Simon’s Cincinnati Post March, March of the Majorettes, The Statesman March, Here Comes the Band, and The Little Giant. Hundreds of errors and inconsistencies were corrected, rendering these marches fit for performance by modern secondary-, university-, and professional-level ensembles. Simon’s marches are worthy of study for both musical and historical reasons. They retain many of the formal, stylistic, and aesthetic qualities of John Philip Sousa’s marches but reflect a greater emphasis on technical and pedagogical considerations. The full-score editions, with guidelines for performance culled from Simon and his contemporaries, will elucidate how these elements were adapted in the post-Sousa era. Frank Simon devoted a lifetime to keeping quality music in the public consciousness and preserving authentic performance techniques for posterity. It was in this spirit, and in the interest of preserving his memory, that this project was undertaken.