Composers Community™

Chrissy Ricker holds a Master’s degree in music with a concentration in piano performance and pedagogy from Meredith College in North Carolina and is also a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music. She enjoys composing music that is educational, motivational, and just plain fun to play. Her piano music has been featured on the contest lists of many state and national organizations, including the National Federation of Music Clubs.

Lisa Donovan Lukas holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. She worked for many years as a proofreader-copyist for film composers at Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Disney, and JoAnn Kane Music Service. A prolific composer/lyricist and lifelong pianist, Lisa maintains an active piano studio where she enjoys teaching piano, music composition, and songwriting.

Rick Robertson holds a Bachelor’s degree in music with an emphasis in piano and voice. His finely-crafted piano music is featured on the National Federation of Music Clubs bulletin. In addition to teaching piano and composing, he is an avid record archivist and researcher, specializing in pianists active during the late–nineteenth and early–twentieth century.

Stacy Fahrion writes in a style she calls “Whimsically Macabre.” Many of her compositions have been concocted from the remains of nursery rhymes. Her music has been described as “offbeat quirky seriously beautifully funny mischievously madly serious.” Stacy holds a Master’s degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa, and teaches piano lessons in Denver. She enjoys performing at house concerts, and when she’s not conjuring up new pieces, she can usually be found hiking in the mountains.

Sarah Reaser O’Brien, NCTM, has been teaching piano since 1983 and currently runs a private studio in Salem, Virginia. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music with a concentration in Piano Performance as well as certificates in both Piano Teaching and Arts Management from Hollins University. Her composing philosophy is to create pedagogically sound music which inspires, motivates, and sparks joy in the student.

Dr. Kevin Costley holds several graduate degrees in education, psychology, and piano pedagogy and literature. Costley’s creative music has received positive critical reviews in leading national music journal publications. In 2008, he was awarded the Arkansas Traveler’s Award from the governor and commissioner of Arkansas in recognition of his distinguished accomplishments in piano composition. He also serves frequently as clinician for piano workshops, adjudicates numerous composition contests, and judges many regional festivals, guild auditions, and piano competitions.

Ron Levy is a professional jazz pianist, composer and piano teacher based in Southern California. He holds degrees in music from UCLA, and has worked with many of the area’s finest musicians, performing jazz and classical repertoire as well as his own original compositions. Ron performs weekly for church and synagogue services where he finds a willing audience to listen to and enjoy his music. His compositions cross all genres including jazz, classical, pop, blues and bossa nova. When not composing, Ron enjoys spending time with his family and eating tacos.

Lisa Frederick holds an ARCT in Piano Performance from The Royal Conservatory of Music and is a Registered Music Teacher with the Saskatchewan Music Teachers’ Association. Lisa enjoys writing engaging, pedagogically-sound pieces for musicians of all levels. When not at the piano, Lisa enjoys spending time with her family and her rescue pup, Roxy.

Barbara Becker lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is a pianist, composer, and teacher. Her pedagogically sound works, with their evocative titles and exquisite harmonies, expose developing musicians of all ages and levels to the wonders of music.

Lisa Shoemaker is a piano teacher, church musician, and composer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music with a concentration in church music from Messiah College. She currently resides in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania with her husband and darling daughter. She also enjoys gardening, cooking, and learning homesteading skills.

Robyn Fehrenbacher has enjoyed the journey of being a pianist for over four decades. She runs a successful piano studio in Brandon, Mississippi, where she loves composing music for her students. Robyn enjoys spending time with friends and family, including her husband and their four children.

Chrisanne Nahum holds a Bachelor’s degree from Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has taught many students who have now gone on to pursue degrees in music. She enjoys composing music that is educational, fun, meaningful, and that students and adults will want to play over and over. Her piano music is played in studios, churches and for contests including the National Federation of Music Clubs.

Sandra Zylstra earned a degree in elementary education with an emphasis in music from Sterling College in Sterling, Kansas. She has an active piano studio, is a high school accompanist, teaches elementary music, and is a pianist in her church. Sandra specializes in arranging piano music for students of all levels. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and gardening.

Jenny Walker grew up in Southampton, England and now resides in the county of Lincolnshire where she has a thriving teaching business. She holds an honours degree in music from the University of Wales and a diploma in piano performance from the Guildhall School of Music. She has always enjoyed creating music. Her Irish heritage, fiddle playing, and love of Debussy have greatly influenced her compositional style.

Paul Sweet is a multi-talented musician, enjoying work as a composer, pianist, and pedagogue. His catalogue of original works includes pieces for orchestra, wind symphony, chorus, chamber ensembles, and solo instruments. He teaches piano in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is frequently engaged as a solo and collaborative pianist throughout the Midwest.

Debbie Center grew up in Littleton, Colorado, where she taught piano, zither, and was the Director of Music for a Montessori preschool. Inspired by the breathtaking scenery and wildlife of her current home in Northern Minnesota’s Lake Country, she combines her passions for music and photography into compositions that transport you to the tranquility of lake life and honor the beautiful music found in nature.

Heather Nanney is passionate about helping build creativity and self-expression in young musicians through both her compositions and teacher resources. She has over 20 years teaching experience and a degree in Music Education. She lives in Missouri with her husband and rescue pup, Luna.

Ryan Chesser holds a Bachelor’s degree in church music from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, where he lives with his wife and daughters. He began writing music for piano and other instruments in 2000, and now enjoys electronic music production as well. He has been serving in local churches with contemporary praise bands since 2007, and is very passionate about biblical studies.

Christina Mathis is a classically trained pianist with a Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from Judson College in Marion, Alabama, and a Masters in Music Education from Liberty University. Christina has extensive experience as a church musician, collaborative pianist, and music educator and is experienced in teaching private lessons, classroom music, and directing choirs.

Jane Tate is a native of Great Britain and has resided in Minnesota since 2003. She earned her bachelors of music with an emphasis in piano performance from the University of Saint Thomas, Saint Paul, and is currently working towards a masters in music therapy. Jane enjoys composing pedagogical pieces that are widely accessible to all ages. She teaches piano and early childhood music at MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and their zoo of animals!

Sara Tomlinson minored in music at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. She also holds a masters degree in school counseling from University of the Southwest. Her diverse interests lead her to composing music, playing at church, and counseling teens to make good life choices. She currently resides in Findlay, Ohio with her husband and two children.

As a young child, Amanda W. Smith loved sitting at her mother’s piano and pretending to be a rock star. These days, she writes and arranges music, and teaches piano lessons to a thriving studio in Lehi, Utah. Amanda joined Composers Community in 2016 and composes engaging pedagogically–based works for all levels.

A native of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, Gary is a prolific composer and arranger of works for piano, choir and large and small instrumental ensembles. His music has been performed around the globe and has been featured in the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers’ Associations’ “Canada Music Week.” He and his wife, bassist Denise Lear, have been performing together since 1995 and have released a CD of Gary’s music entitled “In A Heartbeat.”

British-born composer Joanne Griffiths lives and works in the High Peak, U.K. with her husband and their two children. She earned a Master’s degree in composition from Salford University in 2012 and enjoys dividing her time between teaching, composing, and both singing in and directing choirs. In her spare time, she is passionate about making hats, and listening to live music.

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Travis Lohmann is a composer for film and media. His music can be heard on various television networks including NBC Sports, Discovery, Oxygen, Lifetime, and Bravo, as well as the Dam Short Film Festival and the Laughlin International Film Festival. In addition to composing, Travis is an active performer and instrumental instructor. He holds a Bachelors of Music in Jazz Piano Performance and a Masters of Music in Jazz Composition from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Rebekah Trevelise holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from UTSA. In 2016, she founded Trevelise Musique, a thriving music studio based out of Austin, TX. She’s a proud mom to four beautiful children and enjoys splitting her time between Texas and Costa Rica with her husband.

Dolce Dolls is the dynamic duet writing duo of Marcia Benson and Heidi Hansen who both hail from the state of Minnesota. Their showcase duets are pedagogical gems that suit the tastes of today’s students and will delight audiences.