Barbara Becker is an award-winning, commissioned composer and composer-in-residence for the Contra Costa Chapter of Music Teachers' Association of California. For many years she was the columnist on improvisation for MTAC's state magazine and additionally will be listed in Maurice Hinson's book, Guide to the Pianist's Repertoire.
Her musical talent became evident at age four when she spontaneously began playing by ear, improvising, and arranging nursery tunes on the piano.
Her compositions include teaching and recital pieces, rags, songs, chamber and choral music. She has arranged and written Jewish music as well as four books of arrangements of traditional Christmas music. She maintains an active teaching studio in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Please visit Barbara's websites: pianopronto.com/composers-community/barbara-becker or barbarabeckermusic.com to hear her music and to get a complete listing of her compositions.
Tanya Heeb email: heebtanya@gmail.com website: www.tanyaheebpiano.com
Tanya Heeb is a Russian-born piano teacher and an American-born composer. After many years of teaching in Russia with no thoughts of composing, she began composing pieces here in the United States as supplementary materials for her students. It has now evolved into a consuming passion.
Her music has won numerous awards in the Composers Contests of MTAC in "Teaching Pieces" and "Advanced Music" categories. She performed her winning pieces at the State Conventions in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011.
Tanya’s music can be divided into four categories. Her pieces for young children include 3 Sonatinas, 2 Variations, as well as Eastern European and Russian folk songs. She also composes pieces for students at the intermediate to early advanced levels, arrangements of popular Classical songs for 4 hands and numerous pieces for voice including 20 songs in English and Russian with piano accompaniment, most consisting also of a solo piano version
Dwight Stone email: stonemusique@gmail.com phone: 510-512-2623 website: stonemusique.com
Dwight Stone has over 50 compositions for piano solo, including The Light: Twelve Compositions for Piano, including Going Home and Whither Thou Goest, award winning compositions in the 2014 Music Teachers’ Association of California Composition Competition (MTAC). His catalog also offers a multitude of choral works (secular – Whitman, Blake, etc., and sacred – anthems and liturgical pieces, and descants on hymns for soprano, trumpet, synthesizer, etc.), pieces for brass ensemble, and duets for piano with varied instruments including; trumpet, chromatic harmonica, guitar, voice, and flute. These duets are very engaging and make for a good set in any performance.
