Axford, Elizabeth C. 1958–

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Axford, Elizabeth C. 1958–

(Elizabeth Carole Axford)

PERSONAL:

Born December 21, 1958, in Van Nuys, CA; daughter of Roy A. (a professor of nuclear engineering) and Anne R. (a homemaker) Axford; married Robert J. Somers, May 5, 1979 (divorced April 24, 1984). Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, B.A., 1982; San Diego State University, M.A., 1995. Religion: Christian. Hobbies and other interests: Walking, reading, film.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Del Mar, CA. Office—Piano Press Studio, P.O. Box 85, Del Mar, CA 92014-0085; fax: 858-755-1104. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Piano Press Studio, Miami, FL, instructor in piano and music theory, 1984-92; Piano Press Studio, Del Mar, CA, instructor in piano and music theory, 1992—. Piano Press, owner; Nashville Songwriters Association International, coordinator of regional workshops, 1990—; public speaker at camps, festivals, conferences, and other venues.

MEMBER:

Nashville Songwriters Association International, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, American Federation of Musicians, Music Teachers National Association, National Guild of Piano Teachers, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Technology in Music Education, Academy of American Poets, California Association of Professional Music Teachers, Music Teachers Association of California, Pi Kappa Lambda.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Awards of appreciation, Nashville Songwriters Association International, 1997, 2000; awards from San Diego Local Authors, 1998—.

WRITINGS:

Traditional World Music Influences in Contemporary Solo Piano Literature: A Selected Bibliographic Survey and Review, Scarecrow Press (Lanham, MD), 1997.

Merry Christmas Happy Hanukkah: A Multilingual Songbook, with compact disc, Piano Press (Del Mar, CA), 1999.

Song Sheets to Software: A Guide to Print Music Software and Web Sites for Musicians, Scarecrow Press (Lanham, MD), 2001, revised edition, 2004.

The Art of Music: A Collection of Writings, Piano Press (Del Mar, CA), Volume 1, 2001, Volume 2, 2003.

My Halloween Fun Book, Piano Press (Del Mar, CA), 2004.

My Christmas Fun Book, Piano Press (Del Mar, CA), 2006.

Songwriter and music arranger, with more than 200 published piano arrangements. Work represented in anthologies, including The Music Box and Other Delights, Piano Press (Del Mar, CA), 2003. Author of "Songwriting and the Web," a regular feature in NSAI Newswire, and "Keyboard Chops," a series of articles at the Internet Web site Indie-Music.com. Contributor to periodicals.

SIDELIGHTS:

Elizabeth C. Axford once told CA: "I primarily do research for piano teachers and musicians, exploring the contemporary piano repertoire and Internet possibilities. These are areas which I felt needed support, in the interest of both teachers and students, as well as musicians in general.

"Most of my writing so far has involved extensive research and the compiling and organizing of information so others can access it easily. If I see a gap, I try to fill it, doing research where there is a real need. I am at the computer much of the time, but have also spent hours in libraries, at seminars and trade shows, and combing through print music and software catalogs.

"I also compose music for piano and songs, and have published over 200 piano arrangements. I have my own publishing company, Piano Press, and I intend to expand the catalog to include a variety of supplementary materials for piano students and music teachers."