For more than forty years, Frank Erickson (1923–1996) has devoted his career to music education, and ranks as one of the profession's best-known and most influential composers and arrangers.

Before he was ten, Frank began his study of trumpet and piano, and during his last year in high school composed his first concert band number, The Fall of Evening. Following four years in the service during World War II, he began his writing career as a jazz arranger and, as his interest in serious music grew, he began studies in composition with Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. He later entered the University of Southern California (USC) as a composition major and while a student began arranging half-time shows for the USC Marching Band. By the time he received his master's degree from USC he had several published band numbers, the first of which was Little Suite for Band. During the 1950s his career soared with the publication of such perennial favorites as Balladair, Air for Band, Fantasy for Band and Toccata for Band.

He has over 400 publications including 200 original works for band.