Alfred Publishing
Encyclopedia
Alfred Music Publishing is a family-owned and operated music publishing company, founded in 1922. Headquartered in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California
, it is the largest educational music publisher in the world.
, Duke Ellington
, Tony Bennett
, Dethklok
, Led Zeppelin
, Jim Brickman
, the Eagles, the Rolling Stones
, Nickelback
, Madonna
, Carlos Santana
, Neil Young
, Van Halen
, Green Day
, Evanescence
, Disturbed, and hundreds more.
The company is made of composers and authors as well as staff members in seven offices worldwide. Alfred publishes a variety of music genres for all levels of difficulty, from novice to expert. The styles include educational, reference, pop, and performance pieces for teachers, students, hobbyists, and performers.
Alfred is headquartered in Van Nuys, CA
. Additional branches are currently open domestically in Miami, New York, and internationally in Cologne, London, Singapore, and Sydney.
In addition, Alfred is a partner of Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, a girl guitar company founded by Tish Ciravolo
.
In 1928, Sam Manus bought the company. Sam had provided background violin
music for silent movies for years. It was in 1950 that Sam's son Morty, a clarinetist and pianist
, and his wife Iris, began working for the company. The two discovered a need in the industry for quality education products and began to develop an instructional series for accordion
, followed by piano and guitar
.
In 1975, Alfred outgrew its New York headquarters and moved its offices to Los Angeles
and its warehouse to upstate New York. John O'Reilly came on board as an editor and oversaw the addition of a plethora of band and orchestra titles.
In the 1980s, overall sales doubled to $12 million and sons Steven and Ron Manus joined the company. Then in the 1990s, Alfred expanded into the international market with offices in Australia
, Asia
, the U.K. and Germany
. Sales doubled again to over $25 million.
On June 1, 2005, Alfred Music Publishing took a step toward further growth in acquiring Warner Bros. Publications from the Warner Music Group
. Overall sales increased to $60 million.
Today, Alfred continues to be led by Morty and Ron Manus, the same family who purchased the company in 1928.
Alfred's Basic Piano Library
Alfred's Premier Piano Course
Music for Little Mozarts
Piano for Busy Teens
*Guitar:
Alfred's Basic Guitar Library
The 21st Century Guitar Method
*Drums/Percussion:
Alfred's Drum Method, Book 1 & 2
Alfred's Beginning Drumset Method
Ultimate Realistic Rock
Stick Control
Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer
*Band Methods:
Sound Innovations
Accent on Achievement
Band Expressions
Belwin Elementary Band Method
Belwin Intermediate Band Method
First Division Band Method
*String/Orchestra:
Sound Innovations
String Explorer
Orchestra Expressions
Treasury of Scales for Band and Orchestra
Suzuki
*Theory:
Essentials of Music Theory
Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California
Van Nuys is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California.-History:Look at the two photos of Van Nuys' first year—and then listen to what the Los Angeles Times wrote on February 23, 1911, the day after the Van Nuys town lot auction--"Between dawn and dusk, in the...
, it is the largest educational music publisher in the world.
Profile
Alfred Music Publishing is the largest educational music publisher in the world with over 45,000 active print, DVD, audio CD, enhanced CD, software, and Blu-Ray titles in international circulation. Titles represent a variety of musical styles, including works by George and Ira Gershwin, Henry ManciniHenry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
, Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
, Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
, Dethklok
Dethklok
Dethklok is both a virtual band featured in the Adult Swim animated program Metalocalypse, as well as a real band created to perform the band's melodic death metal music in live shows. The band was created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. The music heard on Metalocalypse is performed by Brendon...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Jim Brickman
Jim Brickman
Jim Brickman is an American songwriter and pianist. He has been named the most charted male Adult Contemporary artist to date, with six of his albums receiving Gold and Platinum status. He is known for his solo piano compositions, pop-style instrumentals, and vocal collaborations with artists...
, the Eagles, the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Nickelback
Nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
, Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
, Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
, Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
, Disturbed, and hundreds more.
The company is made of composers and authors as well as staff members in seven offices worldwide. Alfred publishes a variety of music genres for all levels of difficulty, from novice to expert. The styles include educational, reference, pop, and performance pieces for teachers, students, hobbyists, and performers.
Alfred is headquartered in Van Nuys, CA
Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California
Van Nuys is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California.-History:Look at the two photos of Van Nuys' first year—and then listen to what the Los Angeles Times wrote on February 23, 1911, the day after the Van Nuys town lot auction--"Between dawn and dusk, in the...
. Additional branches are currently open domestically in Miami, New York, and internationally in Cologne, London, Singapore, and Sydney.
In addition, Alfred is a partner of Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, a girl guitar company founded by Tish Ciravolo
Tish Ciravolo
Southern California-based musician and guitar maker Tish Ciravolo is the President & Founder of Daisy Rock Guitars. Daisy Rock Guitars is a guitar manufacturer established in 2000...
.
History
In 1922, Alfred was founded by Alfred Piantodosi, composer and musician, in New York. His modest Tin Pan Alley pop song catalog included hits like "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" and "Waiting for Robert E. Lee," which are songs still in the company catalog to this day.In 1928, Sam Manus bought the company. Sam had provided background violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
music for silent movies for years. It was in 1950 that Sam's son Morty, a clarinetist and pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, and his wife Iris, began working for the company. The two discovered a need in the industry for quality education products and began to develop an instructional series for accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, followed by piano and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
.
In 1975, Alfred outgrew its New York headquarters and moved its offices to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and its warehouse to upstate New York. John O'Reilly came on board as an editor and oversaw the addition of a plethora of band and orchestra titles.
In the 1980s, overall sales doubled to $12 million and sons Steven and Ron Manus joined the company. Then in the 1990s, Alfred expanded into the international market with offices in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, the U.K. and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Sales doubled again to over $25 million.
On June 1, 2005, Alfred Music Publishing took a step toward further growth in acquiring Warner Bros. Publications from the Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
. Overall sales increased to $60 million.
Today, Alfred continues to be led by Morty and Ron Manus, the same family who purchased the company in 1928.
Educational Titles
*Piano:Alfred's Basic Piano Library
Alfred's Premier Piano Course
Music for Little Mozarts
Piano for Busy Teens
*Guitar:
Alfred's Basic Guitar Library
The 21st Century Guitar Method
*Drums/Percussion:
Alfred's Drum Method, Book 1 & 2
Alfred's Beginning Drumset Method
Ultimate Realistic Rock
Stick Control
Progressive Steps to Syncopation for the Modern Drummer
*Band Methods:
Sound Innovations
Accent on Achievement
Band Expressions
Belwin Elementary Band Method
Belwin Intermediate Band Method
First Division Band Method
*String/Orchestra:
Sound Innovations
String Explorer
Orchestra Expressions
Treasury of Scales for Band and Orchestra
Suzuki
*Theory:
Essentials of Music Theory
- Alfred also distributes titles from the National Guitar Workshop, Studio 4 Productions, the Dover Music Catalog, Faber MusicFaber MusicFaber Music is a British sheet music publisher best known for contemporary classical music. It also publishes music tutor books, and in 2005 acquired popular music publisher International Music Publications....
, and Myklas Music Press.