HXmusic

Teachers keep coming back to Ryan Fraley's Charting the Course series across multiple instrument books: the Bass Clef Book, C Book, B-Flat Book, and Piano Book all serve as popular entry points for Grade 2-2.5 students. The Charting the Course Christmas Collection editions extend that same pedagogical approach into seasonal teaching. Jazz ensemble arrangers like Monika Herzig and Lyman Medeiros round out the catalog with contest-ready scores and parts.

May 2026 brought three new jazz ensemble titles: El Ritmo del Malecón by Jamie Roth, Plenty of Nothing by Monika Herzig, and Dream a Little Dream of Me by Gus Kahn. All three are available in both conductor score and downloadable parts formats.

Ryan Fraley is the backbone of this collection with 106 titles spanning method books and ensemble arrangements. His Charting the Course series dominates sales across instrument families (bass clef, C instruments, B-flat, piano, drums), offering a methodical, instrument-specific approach to early ensemble instruction at Grades 2-2.5.

Monika Herzig brought international jazz credentials to American music education. After arriving in the U.S. from Germany on a one-way ticket in 1988, she completed her doctorate in music education with a jazz focus at Indiana University, where she now teaches. Her work here includes both jazz ensemble arrangements like Mosquitoes and method-style instruction that blends her European training with American jazz pedagogy.

Josh Weirich contributes 16 titles focused on jazz fundamentals, including Play Jazz: Trombone, a beginner's guide to solo construction that has found steady adoption among teachers building jazz improvisation skills.