Recognizing a need for choral music written especially for student singers and volunteer church choirs, Don began composing for his own groups. Over 400 of his original choral compositions and arrangements have been released by Shawnee Press, Inc. and other leading publishers of school and church music. More than 15 million copies of his works have been sold, and he has received several ASCAP Special Awards.

His enthusiasm for working with singers of all ages has led to numerous invitations to serve as guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator. He has conducted festivals and workshops in 40 states and Canada. A graduate of Ithaca College, Besig is a member of ACDA, MENC, NYSSMA, ASCAP, and Phi Mu Alpha.

In 1980, Don began collaborating with lyricist Nancy Price. The insight they have gained through their combined years of directing choirs has led the Price/Besig team to create some of the most appealing original compositions and arrangements available in today's market.

E-Mail:dbesig@rochester.rr.com

Website:http://www.priceandbesig.com

Jane is an active workshop presenter and has presented sessions for the Texas Music Educator's Association, Gulf Coast Orff Association, Texas Association for the Education of the Young Child, Early Childhood Winter Conference and various workshops around Houston. Jane has arranged many classical pieces for her percussion ensemble to perform and has written and published a five-book set with CDs entitled "Songs for the Kindergarten Curriculum".

She is delighted to now be on board with Shawnee Press composing her first Orff publication, The Rhythm of the Seasons and Holidays. Jane is an accomplished organist and pianist, and has been a church organist since she was a senior in high school. She is currently the organist for Spring Woods Methodist Church in Houston. She and her husband, Jerry, have a daughter studying music in college and a son on the varsity football team at Spring High School. Recently she presented at AOSA in 2005 and MMEA in 2006.

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Dave is a recipient of the “Excellence in Teaching” award from the Arizona Music Educators Association. In the year 2000, he was selected as the “Arizona Music Educator of the Year” and also received the “Lifetime Recognition Award” from the Choral Directors of Arizona.

Jean began her music education studies at Baker University and completed her degree in Choral Music Education at Arizona State University. She spent seventeen years as a junior high choral director and eight years as an elementary general music specialist and choir director before retiring in 2002. Jean now spends her time in various community volunteer jobs, working with choirs in clinic situations, presenting interest sessions to fellow teachers and directing regional honor choirs and Elementary and Junior High All-States.

Honors received include the “Excellence in Teaching” award from the Arizona Music Educators Association, the “Teacher of the Month” award from Mesa Public Schools, the “Outstanding Choral Educator Award” for 2001 from the Arizona chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and the “Arizona Music Educator of the Year” for 2002.

Dave and Jean Perry have been writing and publishing songs for schools and churches for over twenty-five years. Their music has been performed by choirs in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, North America and Australia. They have over two hundred seventy-five songs in print and are recipients of multiple special composers awards from ASCAP.

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In 1964, he returned to Rome, Italy to compose film music for RCA Italiana. During that period, he became conductor/arranger for Metropolitan Opera soprano Anna Moffo. During his career, he has served as composer-in-residence at the University of Calgary and the Banff School of Fine Arts. Since 1973, he has been the composer-in-residence at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Among his numerous honors are a Steinway Prize; ASCAP Awards since 1964; and Outstanding Achievement Award, Province of Alberta. In 1998, he became the first four-time winner of the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Music Award. With more than 300 published works to his credit, Zaninelli has been commissioned to compose for all mediums including opera, ballet, chamber music, orchestra, band, chorus and solo songs. He has also composed several movie and television scores, including the PBS documentaries: The Islander, Passover, and The Last Confederates.

In February 1998, United States Air Force Band, Washington, DC will premiere his newest work, A Crown, a Mansion and a Throne for soprano and wind ensemble with text by Phillis Wheatley, one of America's first Black poets. Luigi Zaninelli's music is known both under his name and his pseudonym, Lou Hayward. Writing as Lou Hayward, he brings a unique, sophisticated style to popular music. His ability to write so well in a multitude of styles attests to his superior talents as a musician.

Luigi Zaninelli's orchestral, band, and theatre works are available from the rental catalog at

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Choral groups under his direction have performed with distinction at contests and at other award winning occasions. They have performed in Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden, as well as on radio and television. His organizations have been invited to sing at New Jersey and New York State School Music Association conventions, divisional meetings of the Music Educators National Conference, and the first American Choral Directors Association National Conference.

Walter Ehret is well known as a clinician, conductor, and choral literature specialist, and has functioned in these various capacities at over 300 workshops in some 30 states. He is one of the nation's most prolific and respected choral editors and arrangers, and has over 2000 publications in print. In addition, he is co-author of Growing With Music, a basic music series (K-8), co-author of Functional Lessons in Singing, a class voice textbook, and author of the Choral Conductors Handbook. His broad ranging knowledge of the music education field and his acknowledged expertise in choral matters make him an invaluable clinician.

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In 2000, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation commissioned her to write a song cycle for chorus and symphony. Entitled “Sing for the Cure," it has been performed at Carnegie Hall and has been recorded featuring Dr. Maya Angelou as narrator. Ms. Martin presently lives in Austin , Texas with her children Jonathan and Aubrey.

E-Mail:pamsmots@sbcglobal.net

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He is a widely published composer and arranger with over 1000 works in publication with 26 different publishers. His writing includes works for choir, piano, organ/piano duet, symphonic band, jazz ensemble, orchestra, handbells, solo instrument and piano, and various chamber music ensembles.

He is married to Jo Ann Pethel, a pianist and music educator. They have three grown children. Mary Ellen, college history teacher; Rob, a missionary with the International Mission Board; and Joseph, a physical education teacher.

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Born in Helena, Montana, he grew up in Santa Monica, California and resided in the Palos Verdes Hills at the time of his death. Choir leaders everywhere rated Roy Ringwald as one of the most accomplished arrangers of our time. Before joining Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians as a singer and arranger in 1935, Roy Ringwald was associated with Earl Burnett, Raymond Paige and Andre Kostelanetz. His exclusivity with Shawnee Press, Inc. began when the firm was founded 56 years ago.

In the early 1940's, at Fred Waring's request, Mr. Ringwald arranged the poem "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," which was written by Julia Ward Howe. The arrangement was performed by Waring's Pennsylvanians on radio June 22, 1943. Fans inundated Mr. Waring's New York office with letters of praise. By 1962, one million copies of the SATB arrangement had been sold and it continues to be a steady seller today.

Roy Ringwald's studies in the field of music were limited to the elementary courses he received in parochial and public schools. Thereafter, he studied on his own and learned "the hard way." He was playing the piano at paid engagements with a dance group by the age of 12. While in high school, he studied voice, piano, organ, sight-singing, harmony, score reading and history of music. He organized dance bands and pit bands for silent motion pictures; he served as school organist and student director of the glee club; and he played viola with a classical string quartet (rehearsing at 6:30 a.m. before school), which also played paid engagements.

Following high school, he went directly into a professional career as performer and arranger, organizing his own professionally successful groups. When he joined Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians in 1935, he soon retired from performing and devoted his entire attention to writing. His work as an arranger and composer has an individuality of style that has retained its freshness over many years.

Battle Hymn of the Republic; Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor; God Bless America and No Man Is An Island are but a few of the hundreds of his stirring arrangements. His larger works such as Song of America and Song of Christmas are further evidence of his talent. Roy Ringwald continued to write music until his death July 11, 1995 at the age of 84.

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During his studies with Maurice Hinson, he earned the Performer's Certificate in Piano Performance. Sharp has served as Minister of Music in various churches in Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, and Louisiana and served in Venezuela as a music missionary with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

As a composer and arranger, he has written and arranged a number of choral and instrumental pieces for use in worship settings, many of which blend old hymn tunes with contemporary material. He is currently serving as Worship Pastor at the Northpoint Community Church in Covington, Louisiana where he resides with his wife Leanne and their three children, Bethany, Brittany, and Brandon.

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She is internationally recognized as an arranger, composer and clinician and has been a presenter in Italy and Africa. Several commissioned works have been composed by Patsy as well as short musicals about African American History. Two of her compositions were selected for two MENC World’s Largest Concerts and she annually receives the ASCAP Special Music Award. Patsy currently resides with her husband, Dr. Otis Turner, a Presbyterian Minister, in Louisville. They are grandparents and have three grown sons.

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As a composer of over 250 compositions and arrangements for vocal and handbell choirs, Howard says: "I have been composing and arranging for handbells since 1964. There was very little published music available for handbells at that time and there was a need. My first single and first collection for handbells was published in 1970 by Shawnee Press (Flammer). My aim has been to write music worthy of worship and praise that would be useable by most handbell choirs."

Howard is a member of the South Carolina Baptist Singing Churchmen, ACDA, Phi Mu Alpha, American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity, and past member of the Florence Symphony Orchestra. Howard and his wife Nell reside in Florence, South Carolina and are the parents of an adult son and daughter.

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Website:http://www.jamesmstevens.com

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He is a staff arranger, assistant conductor and keyboard player for the Dave Stahl Sacred Orchestra. He has served as producer for two recordings of the orchestra; HOW GREAT THOU ART and PRAISE HIM. His arrangements of the music of Bernstein and Dvorak can be heard on several Dorian Records recordings as performed by the internationally acclaimed PROTEUS 7 ensemble. A music educator in the Lebanon School District (PA). he has served as a clinician for the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association and is active as a guest conductor and adjudicator.

He is active in the central PA area as a performer in both big band and jazz settings on piano and bass. Miller is a former member of the trumpet section of the Harrisburg (PA) and Lancaster (PA) Symphony Orchestras. In the summer months, he serves as the musical director/arranger and bassist for the Timbers Dinner Theatre in Mt. Gretna, PA. Miller recently received the Creative Achievement Award from his alma mater, Lebanon Valley College of Pennsylvania.

E-Mail:Rmmusic@comcast.net

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He has conducted clinics, festivals and All-state choirs in Iowa, Illinois, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Montana. He has also conducted workshops and clinics at the Universities of Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Georgia. Grotenhuis holds a Master's Degree in Music from Michigan State University and has completed all course requirements toward the doctorate degree at Ohio State University. He conducted the 2nd Army Band Male Chorus and was chief music arranger for the 2nd Army Band while in the armed services.

He is composer of over 195 choral works published by various publishers. He has also composed five works for symphonic band. In 1985, he was the recipient of an Outstanding Educators of America award as well as the McGowan Award presented by the Iowa Choral Conductors Association for "outstanding contribution to choral music in Iowa." In 1989, he was trhe recipient of an International Distinguished Leadership award. He recently received from The National Federation of Music the "Outstanding Music Educator" award for the State of Iowa (1994). Dale Grotenhuis is currently living in Byron Center, Michigan, where he is composing music full-time.

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In 1959, Mr. Rodby was elected to ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. His compositions and arrangements, now numbering 350, including nine music books, have been published by 19 American and European publishers.

Mr. Rodby has taught and directed music groups, primarily vocal, in three high schools and 15 colleges and universities. For over thirty years, he wrote a monthly column “The Choral Folio” for the School Musician Magazine, an internationally circulated publication for the school and church market. Mr. Rodby has conducted over 150 festivals and workshops and reading sessions in 20 states and his articles have appeared in a dozen state and national periodicals.

Mr. Rodby has provided significant leadership in every music organization to which he has held membership, including President, Illinois Music Educators Association, President, Chicago Choral Conductors Guild and President of the Illinois Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. From 1970 to 1977, on four separate occasions, he organized and conducted concert tours featuring a 100 voice high school choir, in 12 European countries, including Greece and the Soviet Union.

Mr. Rodby is a WWII veteran, and as a U.S.Army Infantry Officer (Captain), he served as Ammunition and Bomb Disposal Officer with the 66th (Panther) Division in Europe. He was awarded the Bronze Star, The Combat Infantryman’s Badge, and two EAME Theatre ribbons. Upon his release from active duty, Captain Rodby served 27 years in the Army reserves, and in 1965, he was promoted to full colonel. Upon his retirement, he received the Meritorious Service Medal. In 1998, he received a special plaque from the Department of Defense WWII Commemoration Committee for “outstanding service” for composing and conducting a special celebratory anthem honoring the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII, performed at the famous Punch Bowl Cemetery, Honolulu, Hawaii on November 11, 1977.

Mr. Rodby’s awards and honors have been many, and include the coveted Steinway Award, the Illinois Music Educators Distinguished Service Award, the Harold A. Decker Award from the Illinois Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, Cook County “Teacher of the Year” award, and the National Arts Associate Award from Sigma Alpha Iota, International Music Fraternity, at their 1984 National Convention in Chicago. In 1997, he was inducted into the HALL OF FAME of his hometown, Virginia, Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Rodby (Janice Jessee) married in 1949 and have three children, a daughter, Judith, PH.D, tenured professor at California State University, Chico’ a son, Steven, musician bassist and nine-time GRAMMY winner with the Pat Metheny Group, a second son, Roger, M.D., Nephrologist, practicing at Rush Medical Center in Chicago. The Rodby’s have four grandchildren.

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As a graduate of Juilliard, he has arranged/composed/conducted music for Frosted Fantasy, an ice show presented in Tokyo during the occupation. Presently he is a music director for a traveling troupe here in Long Island, N.Y. and composes, arranges and plays piano for the players. Three shows with the original musical are: Money the Musical, The Tortoise and the Hare Run the 5K, and Best of the Beasts.

E-Mail:Hollowhill@juno.com

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She has taught for thirty years, including teaching as a graduate assistant at the University of Kentucky and as an adjunct professor at Warner Pacific College, Portland, Oregon. She now maintains a private studio. Her students have won awards at regional and national levels. She has performed in the United States, England, Scotland and Germany.

Shirley currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband Irv. They have two adult children, Carol Joy and David. All of the profits from her books and CD's go to the Hearts of Hope Foundation for cancer recovery.

A scholar, Dr. Shaw has a BA degree in Music Education and an MA degree in Choral Composition from San Jose University and a DMA degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington. A teacher, Kirby taught in the Mt. Shasta public schools before joining the faculty at College of the Siskiyous in California where he founded and directed the innovative and highly acclaimed COS Vocal Jazz Ensemble. He also directed similar groups at Colorado State Unversity and The University of Missouri-Kansas City and is now directing the Southern Oregon University Jazz Choir. Dr. Shaw's teaching is infused with a sense of humor and breadth of knowledge that is transmitted in an exciting and highly contagious manner. A composer/arranger with close to 2000 choral arrangements/compositions in print, Dr. Shaw's music is sung all over the world and has sold millions of copies

E-Mail:kirbyshawmusic@aol.com

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After his discharge, Harry won a full scholarship at the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Bernard Portnoy. A fourth year took him to Paris where he was a pupil of the celebrated French clarinetist, Gaston Hamelin. From 1951-1959 his professional performance included membership in orhcestras in Houston, Denver, and Minneapolis. While in Denver, he completed a M.M. degree in woodwinds and composition at the University of Denver.

Professor Gee was one of the pioneers for the development of the woodwind choir as a concert medium. Shawnee Press has published four of these arrangements along with six other works for clarinet and saxophone.

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E-Mail:OLELARSON2@juno.com

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E-Mail:totoole@aaahawk.com

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Mr. Bobrowitz had been a freelance bass trombonist, pianist, composer, and arranger in the New York area for more than 30 years. After a thirty year career as a Band and Orchestra Director and Music Department Head, he retired from the Great Neck Public Schools in June 2000, and currently resides in Richmond, Virginia. Mr. Bobrowitz continues to be in demand as a performer, composer, and arranger.

E-Mail:musikmn21@aol.com

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E-Mail:andrdo2353@hotmail.com

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As a broadcaster, Mark has produced various live and broadcast productions for over 20 years. Production credits include Eventide: Voices in Song (syndicated) and Steve Allen's Great American Songwriters heard on National Public Radio (hosted by the late, legendary entertainer). Mark's work in music business and broadcasting has led to collaborations with Andy Griffith, pop and Broadway songwriter Rupert Holmes, jazz pianist Loonis McGlohon, gospel singer Cynthia Clawson and others.

Mark holds bachelors and masters degrees in music education and communications from Mars Hill College and The University of Tennessee.

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At Butler Community College, Valerie directs the 100-voice Butler Concert Choir, the Butler Headliners Showchoir, the Smorgaschords Barbershop Quartet, and teaches tap dance and private voice. The barbershop quartet continuously places at the International Collegiate Barbershop Competition. Valerie was honored as the Butler Master Teacher, has delivered commencement addresses, and is in demand as a motivational speaker for numerous events.

In her spare time, Valerie teaches at the Kansas Dance Academy, directs the Risen Savior Lutheran Church Choir, is a talent coach for the Miss America program, and is involved with family activities. Valerie and Tom reside in Wichita, Kansas with their two children, Stevie and Zane.

Her game and activities books at Shawnee Press include: IceBreakers: 60 Fun Activities to Build a Better Choir (M0750) IceBreakers 2: 64 MORE Games and Fun Activities (M0762 - Available Spring 2009) Olympic Games for the Music Classroom (M0751)

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