Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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It is easy for musicians and teachers to overlook the immense importance of the publishers who supply us with a fresh and continuing flow of excellent sheet music, from improved editions of established favourites to new performance works and educational resources.
The 125th anniversary of the founding of Willis Music Company, one of the world’s great educational music publishers, offers an opportunity to reflect on the incredible contribution to the world of piano education that their groundbreaking publications have made for more than a century, and their continuing impact on the content of our daily teaching, learning, and playing.
Around the world, and continuing every day, literally millions of learners have sat at the piano with a Willis Music score on the music desk in front of them.
We owe the Willis Music Company a huge debt of gratitude, so let me first say Thank You and Congratulations to everyone at the company.
And now let’s consider the inspiring story of this great business (which I have adapted and shortened from the company’s website here) and celebrate the far-reaching impact their publications have made to generations of players…
From small beginnings…
Charles H. Willis began his career in the music business as a retail manager for Church & Company, a music publisher in Cincinnati. He later decided to branch out on his own, and in 1899 he founded what is now known worldwide as The Willis Music Company.
Initially a retailer selling sheet music and catering to music teachers, Willis soon decided to enter the publishing business. He later recalled,
“With my entrance in the publication field, I became active in musical circles and gradually developed international connections and wide personal contacts with composers, dealers and artists. Because of these connections, I was able to secure preference in obtaining manuscripts and compositions of nationally and internationally known composers for my catalogue.”
Charles Willis continued to expand, increasing his catalogue and worldwide presence, before selling The Willis Music Company in 1919 to Gustave Schirmer, who also owned Schirmer Music and The Boston Music Company.
In 1923, John J. Cranley became general manager of the Willis Music subsidiary, turning the organisation into a major corporation in very quick order. Under his leadership, Willis Music became “The Publisher” for teaching methods and solo pieces.
The John Thompson method, “Modern Course for the Piano” was added to the catalogue in 1936 and quickly became, and still is today, the most widely used piano method in the world, published in 17 languages.
Thompson’s “Easiest Piano Course” for children followed in the 1950s and remains one of the highest-selling educational methods worldwide. The series continues to be updated for each generation and expanded with fresh and inspiring collections, the latest being an enjoyable selection of Irish Folk Songs arranged for easy piano.
John J. Cranley then added names like Edna-Mae Burnam, best known for her prolific “Dozen a Day” series, and the ever-popular William Gillock.
In subsequent years, The Willis Music Publisher have turned many other piano composers into household names, including Glenda Austin, Eric Baumgartner, Randall Hartnell, Naoko Ikeda, Carolyn Miller, and Jason Sifford.
Little by little, Cranley acquired more than 50% ownership in the company through stock options and then purchased all the remaining stock in the mid 1950’s. His son Edward Cranley became president of the Willis Music Company in 1965 and continued to expand Willis Music publications worldwide. Willis Music moved its Corporate headquarters to Florence, Kentucky in 1969, where it continues today.
The current President of Willis Music, Kevin Cranley, began working in the business for his father at the age of 12, working summers and breaks in the publishing division and after school in the retail store. After graduating from Xavier University in 1980 with a marketing degree, Kevin joined the company full time in the publishing division. He later took over the reins of the retail division and became president of the company in 1990.
In 2005, Willis Music partnered with the Hal Leonard Corporation who now handle product development, production and distribution for the Willis Music catalogue in the Americas and beyond. Hal Leonard provides an unmatched staple of popular songs and talent that have enhanced the iconic Willis Piano Methods. Willis Music continues to be represented by Shanghai Music Publishing in China, Zen-On Music in Japan, and Hal Leonard everywhere else.
Today Willis Music continues its focus on music education through its retail stores and publishing. The company also visits hundreds of schools weekly, supporting band and orchestra programmes. The company is rightly proud of the legacy that began with Charles H. Willis so many years ago, and remains committed to continuing with the same dedication for years to come.
I am immensely proud, honoured, and deeply grateful to have myself joined the Willis Music Company fold as the author of four recent titles, the three Graded Gillock books and Naoko Ikeda: The Graded Collection, curated under our shared partnership with Hal Leonard Europe.
Graded Gillock • Three Essential Collections
William Gillock’ music continues to inspire piano students around the world with its catchy tunes and imaginative content. My three collections deliver 41 of his very best pieces, sorted by level and including my playing tips.
Naoko Ikeda Graded Collection
For this publication I have selected and edited 24 of Naoko Ikeda’s best solo works, presenting her pieces in approximate order of difficulty, grouped from Grade 2 to Grade 5 level.
Willis Music on Pianodao
Many of the Willis Music Company’s recent titles have been reviewed here on Pianodao, with many more coming soon, and I am especially proud to have raised the profile of this most esteemed publisher and its composers here in the UK market.
For an in-depth look at these titles, you can explore all these reviews here:
Masterpieces for the Modern Pianist
‘Masterpieces for the Modern Pianist’ takes the well-established concept of the bumper songbook, and gently polishes it for today’s players. From repertoire selections to editorial execution and production quality, it seems to me that this anthology notably improves on those that have preceded it…
A Dozen A Day • All Year Round
As useful and truly indispensable a resource today as it was when Edna-Mae Burnam first developed the books back in the 1950’s, “A Dozen A Day: All Year Round” is a truly essential classic…
Willis Music’s ‘Strange Sounds’
This collection is a real find, including ten equally enchanting pieces that are bound to be popular with elementary players, while showcasing the creativity of some of the most characterful voices in the piano pedagogy repertoire. Terrific!
Naoko Ikeda: Aya
For those yet to discover the evocative and scintillating music of Naoko Ikeda, ‘Aya’ offers a beautiful starting point. Like much of her music, these delightful pieces draw their colours from a wide range of influences and offer immediate appeal.
Jason Sifford’s KEYBOP
Not another set of jazzy books for young pianists, I hear you say. But stay with me, because these ones are really worth a look…
Calming Christmas Carols for Graded Piano
With so many Christmas-themed piano books on the market, and with yet more appearing to challenge our established favourites each year, it takes something quite special and distinctive to stand out from the crowd. And here it is…
Carolyn Miller • Piano Expressions
The obvious and very natural blend of musical inspiration and educational content to be found in these pieces make Carolyn Miller’s ‘Piano Expressions’ a superb addition to the intermediate piano education repertoire, indeed a truly magical one!
Junior Performer
Rather boldly describing itself as “The Perfect Resource for Between Piano Grades”, the new ‘Junior Performer’ series from Willis Music clearly has ambitions…
A Dozen a Day • Counting Rhythm
Developing our sense of pulse, pace, and rhythmic timing are fundamental building blocks of piano playing, ‘A Dozen A Day: Counting Rhythm’ is a useful resource with lots of creative potential.
Favourite Melodies • Jazz Piano
‘Favourite Melodies for Jazz Piano Solo’ is one of those happy publications which proves as easy to review as it is to highly recommend. These are great tunes, masterfully reimagined in an accessible and very cool way!
Willis Student Recital Collection
‘The Willis Student Recital Collection’ offers a selection of 40 enjoyable performance pieces for elementary to late intermediate players, written by some of the world’s most acclaimed piano education composers.
The Naoko Ikeda Duet Collection
‘The Naoko Ikeda Duet Collection’ can be seen as an ideal and natural companion to ‘The Graded Collection’; it will be welcomed by all who enjoy duet playing at intermediate level, and who appreciate and want to explore more of Ikeda’s music.
Uplifting Piano Solos
For advancing players who are looking for some lighter relief between wrestling with Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Hindemith , “Uplifting Piano Solos” more than fulfils the brief, while equally living up to its title, delivering consummately crafted and enjoyable arrangements of famous melodies that will uplift pianist and impress audience alike.
Solos for the Sanctuary
Glenda Austin’s Solos for the Sanctuary series obviously stands apart from the music I typically review on Pianodao. These are special niche publications whose particular audience seems obvious, and for whom they have been superbly put together…
Jazz It Up! Christmas
From boogie-tinged swing to Latin spice, taking in waltz and ballads along the way, every one of these dazzling arrangements proves totally irresistible, adding up to one of the most charming and joyously festive collections I’ve yet discovered…
8 Great Duet Books 2022
It will be great to see the piano duet rebound following the constraints of the pandemic, and these fresh publications will certainly keep players busy and enthused…
Accent on William Gillock
There’s little doubt in my mind that William Gillock was one of the most significant educational piano composers of the twentieth century, and it’s a delight to be reviewing The Willis Music Company’s new complete edition of the Accent on Gillock series.
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