Finding Aid for Paul Price Percussion Music and Papers, 1961-1982 | The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Title: Paul Price Percussion Music and Papers, 1961-1982

ID: 12/5/51

Primary Creator: Price, Paul (1921-1986)

Extent: 17.0 cubic feet

Arrangement:

Organized into 5 series:

Series 1) Music Manuscripts, consists of orginal manuscripts of unpublished compositions and/or arrangements. Materials are arranged alphabetically by last name of composer or performer.

Series 2) Annotated Scores and Parts, consists of unpublished and published sheet music annotated by Price and/or members of the Manhattan Percussion Ensemble for performance. Materials are arranged alphabetically by last name of composer or performer.

Series 3) Unannotated Scores and Parts, consists of reproduced manuscripts bearing no or very few annotations, retained because of their unavailability in other sources. Materials are arranged alphabetically by last name of composer or performer.

Series 4) Papers, consists of Personal papers of Paul Price. Materials are arranged chronologically.

Series 5) Sound Recordings, includes LPs, reel-to-reel tapes, and cassette tapes. Materials are arranged by format.

Date Acquired: 08/31/1987

Subjects: Cage, John (1912-1992), Carter, Elliot (1908-2012), Faculty, Faculty Papers, Harrison, Lou (1917-2003), Johnston, Ben (1926-2019), Krenek, Ernst (1900-1901), Manuscripts, Music, Music, School of, New York, Percussion, Phi Mu Alpha, Radio Station - WILL, Stravinsky, Igor Fyodorovich (1882-1971)

Formats/Genres: Correspondence, Experimental Music, Sheet music, Sound Recordings

Languages: English, Spanish;Castilian

Consists of percussion sheet music, sound recordings and correspondence documenting Paul Price's career as a percussion music educator, publisher and performer. Of special note are manuscripts, non-commercial recordings, and other forms of unpublished music materials of American 20th-century composers including Lou Harrison, Michael Colgrass, and Henry Cowell, as well as works by Price himself. Among the sound recordings, of special note are performances by the Manhattan Percussion Ensemble with Paul Price as conductor. Also includes correspondence file containing correspondence with 20th-century composers of percussion music. Some of the sheet music files also contain correspondence, performance programs or other additional material documenting a work's performances or publishing history.

Paul William Price (b. Fitchburg, Mass., 31 July, 1910- d. New York, 1986) was a percussionist, composer, conductor, publisher of percussion music, and music educator during the four decades following the end of World War II. He studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory under George Carey and Fred Noak. In his teaching career he held faculty positions at the University of Illinois from 1949 to 1956; Boston University; Ithaca College; Newark State College and, after 1957, the Manhattan School of Music. Price also conducted the Manhattan Percussion Ensemble and began independently publishing percussion music under the titles "Music for Percussion" and "Paul Price Publications," beginning in the mid-1960s. He was also a composer of percussion music and a writer of books on percussion methodology. Through these activities he was influential in promoting the growth of the percussion ensemble movement in the United States and in stimulating interest in composing for percussion in the latter half of the 20th century.

Cage, John (1912-1992)
Carter, Elliot (1908-2012)
Faculty
Faculty Papers
Harrison, Lou (1917-2003)
Johnston, Ben (1926-2019)
Krenek, Ernst (1900-1901)
Manuscripts
Music
Music, School of
New York
Percussion
Phi Mu Alpha
Radio Station - WILL
Stravinsky, Igor Fyodorovich (1882-1971)

Repository: The Sousa Archives and Center for American Music

Access Restrictions: No restrictions.

Acquisition Source: Percussive Arts Society and Phyllis Price

Acquisition Method: Donation.

Related Materials: See also the Fred and Connie Fairchild Parkland College Band and ISYM Records (12/9/173).