J.W. Pepper Launches New Initiative with Penn State and LSU to Support Emerging Composers
Exton, PA—J.W. Pepper, the world’s largest sheet music retailer, is proud to announce a new initiative aimed at supporting the creation of new music and spotlighting emerging composers. Through partnerships with collegiate composition programs, Pepper is helping to foster the next generation of musical talent.
The initiative launched with collaborations with the composition programs at The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) and Louisiana State University (LSU), with plans to expand to additional institutions across the country.
As part of the program, J.W. Pepper creates a dedicated page on its website for each partner school’s composition program. These pages showcase the talents of student composers, offering a platform for them to gain visibility and experience in the professional music world.
Students recommended by faculty members for participation in the program receive free My Score credentials. The students maintain control over their compositions—they can add, remove, or edit their pieces at any time. Importantly, they retain the copyrights to their music and receive quarterly commission payments. Through My Score, Pepper will print, distribute, and promote the composers’ music.
The program also allows performances of student compositions to be linked to the published works, giving further recognition to both the composers and the performing ensembles of each school.
There is no cost for schools to participate in the initiative, making it an accessible and impactful opportunity for composition programs nationwide.
“This collaboration is about more than just publishing—it’s about empowering young composers and showcasing the vibrant musical creativity emerging from today’s academic institutions,” said Matthew Alosi, Higher Education Consultant for J.W. Pepper.
J.W. Pepper will be adding additional schools over the course of the summer and fall of 2025.
We are thrilled about this partnership that offers a wide-reaching, established, and recognizable platform for Penn State composers to distribute their sheet music. This partnership is a fit not only because of the high-profile nature of the J.W. Pepper name but because the My Score platform aligns with composition pedagogy at Penn State. Beyond the creative act of composing, our program is heavily engaged in training students in all aspects of being composers—this includes navigating the business side of being a composer. There have already been cases of our composers learning that someone purchased sheet music from My Score and performed their works. If new performers are discovering works by Penn State composers through J.W. Pepper, purchasing the sheet music, and performing those works, then this is highly successful.
—Baljinder Sekhon II, Associate Professor, Composition and chair of the composition area at Penn State
Through the J.W. Pepper network, composers at the LSU School of Music showcase success at every level—students, alumni, and faculty. My Score, a distinct opportunity generator, markets the unique LSU program within the new music community, allowing our composers to gain exposure in select company. It provides students a tangible goal of what strong portfolio development looks like. We are grateful to be included in this venture.
—James Byo, Director, School of Music at Louisiana State University
For more information or to learn more about this initiative, email Matthew Alosi at malosi@jwpepper.com.
