FJH Digital Sheet Music

Teachers keep coming back to Softly Whisper by Kevin Costley and Spirit of the Stallion by Elizabeth Gutierrez for their piano students. Rushing River by Melody Bober and Toccata by Martín Cuéllar round out the most popular piano selections. For ensemble directors, Tripwire by JaRod Hall (Grade 2 concert band) and Attack of the Garden Gnomes by Timothy Loest deliver accessible yet engaging repertoire.

Recent releases include Adirondack Park by Ryan Fraley and Stand Tall America by Andrew Balent for concert band, plus Arabian Dances by Brian Balmages as a flexible band/string ensemble option. Carnival Clown by Jessica Lynne Ordaz offers a fresh piano title, while Overture and Bourree from Il Pastor Fido by Bob Lipton provides string orchestra repertoire.

Melody Bober composes motivational piano pieces grounded in her experience as both a performer and educator. She holds degrees in music education from the University of Illinois and a master's in piano performance from Minnesota State University, and her work appeals directly to teachers seeking pieces that deepen students' musical understanding. Rushing River and Midnight Wind are widely adopted in piano studios.

William Owens brings three decades of composing experience to young ensembles, with a practical pedagogical approach that has made his work a fixture on required music lists nationally. A seasoned clinician and conductor, he has composed over 300 titles for concert band, string orchestra, and chamber groups, establishing him as a leader in accessible ensemble repertoire.

Timothy Loest's compositions for young band are performed internationally, and his work extends beyond the score into conducting and pedagogy at state and national levels. His 2017 composition Cloud Gate was performed for over 5,000 spectators at Chicago's Millennium Park, demonstrating the reach and impact of his creative voice.

Carrie Lane Gruselle combines school string teaching with university-level instruction and brings her Suzuki training into her compositions for student ensembles. Currently teaching elementary and middle strings in the Appleton Area School District, she understands the developmental needs of young string players.