MUSSE, on-demand online sheet music publishing service, encourages composers, pianists, piano teachers etc. to publish their original or arranged pieces. Herewith PTNA introduces some of our members' recent activities.

Miho ABE (representative of 'Let's play with sound' Station), is a piano teacher whose composition deeply rooted to daily piano lessons. Her pieces are frequently written for her students in order to let them play together with her or their family and friends. Abe has just published two arranged pieces for 6 hands ("Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star","Turkish March"). 

Kazuhiko KOYAMA, composer, is often asked to write arranged pieces which enables pianists to play with other instrumentalists. At present, he is arranging pieces for piano and clarinet ('Entertainer', 'Traumerei' etc.) which will be played at STEP in Miyagi (representative; Sonoko Takeuchi) next December. The working process is always based on dialogue with clients, according to Koyama.

Midori SHINOZAKI, pianist, recently arranged Sibelius's "Finlandia" for piano duo. She has been playing duo pieces by Rachmaninoff, Brahms, etc. for long years, but was occasionally anxious about the shortage of counterparts. Her arranged works are mainly on piano pieces, but she is trying to explore further more on symphonic pieces or operatic arias.

Keiko TAKASHIMA, composer and piano teacher, once published a collective music scores with narrative titled "a music story for piano classroom presentations", from other company about 20 years ago. This was created in response to ideas and requests from teachers across Japan, but went out of print due to the recession a few years later. It was revived from MUSSE and this series continues.

Miho TAKI has been actively involved in ensemble group with flute and cello players, as well as drummer and bassist later on. In need of arranged pieces for the unit, she started to write arrangements in classical, jazz and popular music styles. Her first edition is jazz ensemble for piano trio.

Chihiro TODOROKI was recently asked to arrange a piece of Jane Bastien (American composer specialized in pedagogical methodology and music) for ensemble with recorder. This will be played at STEP in Yokoyama next October (representative; Maki Takashima).  Todoroki appreciates MUSSE as it enables people to order and purchase piece by piece, which could illuminate any small pieces unpublished.

Hiroko MATSUMARU, director of the association of electronic organ teachers (JET), has already published 12 volumes of "First Encounter with Concerto" so far. Her intention is to write electronic organ accompaniment on to piano pieces in order to give richness in sound and harmony. Some students testify that it also enhances their understanding of the music structure.