Hello again everyone!

I wanted to keep you updated on the activity of my compositions library.  My most recent solo piano publication, “Of Sapphire Skies” (Neil A. Kjos Music Co.) received a nice review in the September/October 2008 issue of Clavier magazine, as well as in the December 2007 issue of Clarion magazine.  They both expressed the opinion that it would be a “good piece for an older student”.  I teach two adult students right now myself, and I know that it is difficult for adults to find nice literature of a contemporary quality that really interests them.  If you are an older student, or a teacher, I strongly encourage you to check this piece out. 

     I am finishing up three new books of solo pieces for piano students….one for elementary level, one intermediate and one late intermediate.  I love how they are turning out!  I can already think of certain students in my studio with whom I want to work on these pieces.  I am definitely going to encourage my composition student in the studio to write for piano students….it definitely makes you think about what you want to say musically, in a shorter form. 

     I am a member of American Composers Forum, and one of the members wrote a while back about the fact that he served as composer-in-residence at a middle school in Minnesota, and had to write a piece for their band.  He found it very difficult, becuase he found that he needed to think about the capabilities of each player at the middle school level, and he had not been “shown” how to do that in college as a composition major.  I think it is important for all of us as writers to not only think about our audiences, but our performer(s) as well.