Karl l. king biography
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Our Iowa Heritage
When I attended the University of Iowa (1969-1972) as a music major, we had two very remarkable band directors – Tom Davis and Frank Piersol.
Both were amazing musicians in their own right, with both bringing to the table unique skills and interests that made them into the great music instructors they were. I’ve already written about Tom Davis, and will hopefully do the same with Mr. Piersol someday, but I mention him here to introduce you to Iowa’s March King: Karl King.
In high school, I recall our concert grupp at Iowa City High playing a Karl King march or two, but it wasn’t until I was around Frank Piersol when I heard about the amazing man behind the music. To Frank Piersol, Karl King was, indeed, the king of marches – far exceeding the talents of other well-known bandsmen like Patrick Gilmore, Edwin Bagley, Iowa’s own Meredith Willson, and yes, even exceeding America’s undisputed favorite &#
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Karl King
This article is about the composer. For the U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, see Karl C. King. For the member of the Northern Mariana Islands Senate, see Karl King-Nabors.
American composer and conductor
Karl L. King (February 21, 1891 – March 31, 1971) was a United States march music bandmaster and composer. He is best known as the composer of "Barnum and Bailey's Favorite".
Early life
[edit]Karl Lawrence King was born in the by of Paintersville, Ohio.[1] He was the only child of Sandusky S. and Anna Lindsey King. The King family moved to Canton, Ohio, when he was eleven, the age he used newspaper carrier income to purchase his first musical instrument – a cornet. He studied with Emile Reinkendorff, director of the Grand Army Band of Canton, on this instrument.
He grew up as a self-taught musician with very little schooling of any kind (he left school after the eighth grade, age fourteen). His only music instruction included assistance
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The photo to the right shows a young 17 or 18 year old Karl King in his uniform from the Neddermeyer Band of Columbus, Ohio. The letters A. F. M. for the American Federation of Musicians are seen on his collar. about enlarging these photos |
| Karl Lawrence King was born in the Ohio village of Paintersville February 21, 1891, and grew up in Xenia, Cleveland, and Canton. The local town band in Canton stirred his love and talent for music, so at the age of eleven he bought a cornet with money earned by selling newspapers and began taking lessons. He soon exchanged that instrument for a euphonium which he played in the Canton Marine Band (made up of boys his own age). Karl's only formal music instruction consisted of four piano lessons and one harmony lesson from a musical show director, William Bradford. Sinc
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