Multiple Alfred Products Receive 2008 Winter NAMM Best In Show Awards

Press release
Source: Alfred Publishing

Alfred Receives NAMM Best In Show Awards

Alfred’s Kid’s Guitar Course is Alfred’s best-selling kids method designed to get youngsters playing the guitar right away. Winner of the “Gotta Stock It” award, music stores and new musicians across the country are reaching for Level 1, Level 2, and especially the Complete edition for a comprehensive method that is both educational and entertaining. The complete edition combines the first two editions into one method offering activity pages from the Notespeller plus accompanying enhanced CDs so beginners will always know how the music should sound. Each lesson is easy to understand, in plain English, and displayed on colorful pages. Kids learn from irresistible guitar experts like a classical dog, a cool jazz cat, and a friendly, blues-loving alligator. Stocking this book and 2-CD set with over 140 pages of fun and extra downloads is a must for retailers supplying kids with their first step toward a lifetime of musical enjoyment.

Additional honors in the “Gotta Stock It” went to two drum set method books by best-selling author Don Famularo. The Weaker Side, a book aimed at pinpointing the weaker muscle sets in drumming technique, allows drummers to develop under-used muscles to cultivate a more balanced ability for controlled movement and a fluid and consistent sound. Organized for gradual strengthening through daily practice, all exercises in the book are aimed at improving drummers’ hands and feet. Fitting hand-in-hand with The Weaker Side, Famularo’s Eighth-Note Rock and Beyond is a drummer’s first stop for basic rock music beats broken down into clear and easy variations of eighth and sixteenth notes. One hundred forty-five exercises, created by Famularo and fellow drummer Glenn Ceglia, guide players with comprehensive notation that specifies the counts for each measure. The included CD provides demonstrations as well as play-along tracks. The perfect duo for determined drummers, The Weaker Side and Eighth-Note Rock and Beyond are two “gotta stock” items.

Jerry Lee Lewis: Killer Piano is Alfred’s exclusive, documentary-style look at this legendary rock and roll pioneer. Premiered at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2007, it is no wonder NAMM deemed this DVD a “Trendsetter.” Jerry Lee Lewis’s pioneering piano, his legendary vocal style, and his indefinable presence as a performer combined to make him one of the defining musicians of the rock and roll era. In Killer Piano, he speaks candidly about his 50-year recording career, reminisces with his family, and waxes nostalgic over his childhood years. Peppered with spontaneous demonstrations of his many favorite songs, the DVD also includes footage from a complete live performance in Las Vegas, his original historic appearance on the Steve Allen show, and to add to the authentic charm, the entire feature is hosted by his sister, the great Linda Gail Lewis.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better presence at this year’s NAMM show,” commented Alfred’s Executive Vice President Ron Manus. “We were both honored to be among esteemed colleagues in the industry and proud to show off our own accomplishments of the past year. Ultimately, we are about sharing the joy of music with the world. I am confident that with products of this caliber, we can continue to do just that.”

Alfred’s Kid’s Guitar Course 1, 2, Complete, Flashcards, and Notespeller; The Weaker Side and Eighth-Note Rock and Beyond; and Jerry Lee Lewis: Killer Piano are available now. For more information, visit alfred.com.

About Alfred Publishing
Since its inception in 1922, Alfred Publishing remains dedicated to helping people experience the joy of making music. With hundreds of expert authors and composers backed by a talented staff in seven offices worldwide, Alfred publishes educational, reference, pop, and performance pieces for teachers, students, hobbyists and performers spanning every musical instrument, style, and difficulty level.

Alfred currently has over 45,000 active print, DVD, software, general MIDI, audio CD and enhanced CD titles in circulation throughout the world. Titles represent a full range of musical tastes and styles, including the works of George and Ira Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Burt Bacharach, Henry Mancini, Led Zeppelin, the Eagles, Madonna, Green Day, and hundreds more. In addition to its own titles, Alfred distributes works from the National Guitar Workshop, the Dover Music catalog, and Faber Music.

For more information about Alfred Publishing, please visit www.alfred.com.