Derek Richard

Derek Richard has always appreciated the experience he had in college as a pianist accompaniment to singers and choir. Those were meaningful opportunities for him to learn in detail the importance of how musical notation is laid out on a page. Not all musical notation is the same and Derek has developed the skills to provide materials that are clear and easy for singers to read and understand. Along the way, he has worked with three icons of the music publishing industry beginning with Bernie Fisher at Plymouth Walton Music, which he joined right after college graduation. Derek learned much about the art of engraving from Bernie as well as his second boss, Frank Hackinson the founder of FJH Music for whom he worked for nearly ten years. His third mentor was Morty Manus for whom Derek worked when Alfred Music acquired Warner Brothers in 2005. Derek’s passion for music education and understanding of the art of notation has been a perfect fit at Alfred and led to several successful publications including the Sound Innovations series.