method books

Jane Smisor Bastien together with her husband James Bastien, wrote the best-selling Bastien Piano Methods enjoyed by millions of students and teachers worldwide.  The series of books, all published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company, are now translated into more than 16 languages.

William Bay grew up in the music business and like his father, contributed to the field of music method publications.  Mel Bay was a pioneer in guitar method books, which he designed for players of all levels.  He formed the Mel Bay Music Publishing Company in 1947 outside of St. Louis, MO.  William learned guitar at a young age and began creating his own methods of teaching guitar to others.  Over the years, William took over as president of the company and has authored over 200 publications for the company.

John H. Beck has an amazing talent for explaining the art of music making, not just teaching music, but providing meaning to the student in ways that fuel their passion.  As the principal timpanist for the Rochester Philharmonic and a well-respected professor at the Eastman School of Music, John H. Beck has made a lasting contribution to the music industry during his long career.  As a promoter of school programs, he oversaw important changes as president of the Percussive Arts Society that lead to more hands-on programs and demonstrations for students.

Jim and Liz Beloff formed Flea Market Music to promote all things ukulele, and together they have played a big part in the resurgence of the instrument. The company is widely known for manufacturing the Fluke, a half-plastic, half-wood ukulele introduced in 1999. They also worked together in gathering the history of the instrument, adding photographs to document its influences on pop culture. The result is their book The Ukulele: A Visual History, published in 2003.
 

Jim Chapin had the idea of writing a method book for the beginning drummer that would provide clear examples and illustrations. The year was 1947 and no such book was in print. He gathered little hints and simple examples for the book that has become one of the best selling methods in the business. As a player, he toured and recorded countless times, but found the most satisfaction sitting down with one drummer or a room with 101 drummers and providing them with tools to improve their playing.

Art Jenson is known throughout the music industry for establishing Jenson Publishing in 1977. The company became one of the nation’s largest educational music publishers with a focus on band and choral works. In the mid '60's, Art did some writing for Charles Hansen Publications and in 1969, he joined the editorial staff of Zeb Billings Music Publishing.  In 1970, Art and Keith and Don Mardak started Learning Unlimited, which became a division of Hal Leonard Publishing Corp.

Neil A. Kjos, Jr. took over the music publishing company that his father, Neil A. Kjos, Sr. had formed in 1936.  He began by developing and adding the best-selling Bastien Piano publications to a catalog that had previously focused exclusively on instrumental and choral publications.  Development of the popular Bastien pedagogy culminated with the release of the Bastien Piano Basics in 1985, the world's first ever 4-color piano method that is used by millions of students and teachers worldwide.

Morton and Iris Manus are one of the most adorable couples you may ever meet. Their interview was full of colorful remembrances of the early days of Alfred Publishing, how they met, and the great pride of their sons now running the company. The friendships they have created in the industry and the reputation they created within their company is legendary.

Gordon B. Peters has spent decades performing, teaching and composing for the percussive arts. He has worked to provide meaningful tools to students and teachers alike while keeping his techniques fresh and new. As a performer he has pushed hard to design new formulas and new styles while keeping the traditions of percussion alive and well. Gordon was a founding member of the Percussive Arts Society and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2004. It was a fitting tribute for a tireless influence.