Author: Brendan Lyons

Pepper has gotten the opportunity to explore a lot of music history, taking closer looks at both the people and the instruments that helped shape the world around us. Below…

Internationally known for his saxophone playing and improvisational prowess, Jeff Coffin is also a composer, educator, and author. When not on stage with the Dave Matthews Band, he is teaching…

For the past two years, Pepper has been following the painstaking construction of a harpsichord for Mount Vernon that is a replica of the Washington family’s original instrument. The project…

Family and friends are great, but when you really boil it down, the star of Thanksgiving is the food – oh, and maybe the music. It’s well known that music…

Arranger, composer, conductor, and performer – Bob Chilcott has played every part of the musical process. His choir music is sung around the world and loved by singers of different…

It was over 140 years ago that James Welsh Pepper first started the company that still carries his name. Setting up shop in 1876, he saw great potential in the…

Larry Clark is an ASCAP award-winning composer with over 300 publications in print. For over 20 years, he has been a much sought-after composer, writing and arranging for Warner Bros….

Patriotic music speaks to what it means to be part of this country and the shared experiences of its citizenry. It speaks directly to our hearts, especially during this time…

Mac Huff is one of the most prolific pop music arrangers for publisher Hal Leonard, and his work is performed by hundreds of ensembles every year. Huff is also a…

Believe it or not, summer vacation is not far off. Students are undoubtedly excited about that, and for piano teachers and the parents of young piano players, summer provides hidden…

Nearly three decades ago, a group was started with a simple mission – to play contemporary big band jazz, rooted in a traditional style. The brainchild of Stanley Kay, former…

March 13th marked the 62nd birthday of late composer and musical pioneer Moses Hogan. He is considered a pioneer of the modern spiritual, bringing the heart and soul of these…

Originally from Columbus, Ohio, composer John Mackey grew up without formal music lessons. Though his mother played the flute and the family owned a piano, he never played either instrument…

In February, we celebrate past presidents and their contributions to our national identity. The legacies of our past leaders are played out in history books and written into law, but…

Music, for many, is about joy before anything else. Spend a few short minutes with conductor, composer, and choreographer John Jacobson, and it will quickly become evident that this is…

Think about the way we learn music – the methods and best practices used in the vast majority of music classrooms.  The teaching approaches are not all the same, but…

Teaching middle school tends to be “the road less traveled” for many new music educators. Sometimes this can be due to a lack of targeted training for middle school music,…

Each year when the annual celebration of our nation’s birth approaches, patriotic music becomes more prevalent in our daily lives. These songs paint a picture of our nation through their…

When browsing the choral sheet music collections of any music educator, one might be struck by the wide range of styles and themes present as well as the myriad composers…

Technology finds its way into every aspect of our lives, and if we harness it effectively, it can change things for the better. That was the mindset behind creating Pepper’s…

A musician cannot learn without a great teacher, but even the best teachers can’t be experts on every instrument. It can be challenging for an educator to teach an instrument…