Jackie Sharp, Australia
Guest Composers
Composer of Peek-a-boo! in Back To Basics Piano Book 4
Jackie Sharp is a highly experienced, passionate, and innovative teacher, composer, and pianist based in Sydney, Australia. In recognition of her dedication and expertise, she was awarded the 2009 AMEB Shield, given annually to the teacher with the highest student results in NSW.
As the author of several pedagogical books, including the highly acclaimed Technique Trainer, Jackie is deeply committed to nurturing musical growth. Her students frequently achieve top honors in both national and international competitions. She also composes pedagogical piano works across all levels, aiming to cultivate artistry and technique in a holistic way. Her contributions to the field have been recognized in Living Women Composers, Marlene Moore’s recently published book, where she is featured as one of the highlighted composers.
Beyond teaching and composing, Jackie has adjudicated several international piano competitions and serves as an examiner for Con Brio Examinations.
A recent milestone saw her music featured on BBC Sounds’ Sleeping Forecast at the first time of submission. Looking ahead, concert pianist Jelena Makarova is set to perform Kerry’s piano works at London’s prestigious 1901 Arts Club, an event that will also be filmed. Meanwhile, the Malta Piano Academy regularly features her music in its annual festival and competitions, with Director Milica Lawrence premiering several of her works.
Children’s piano music remains close to Kerry’s heart, and she has composed a collection of 24 miniatures for mid-beginner to mid-intermediate levels. Additionally, Kerry has assigned music transcriber Josephine Li to engrave her upcoming 6 track EP of relaxing piano music, soon to be in all stores!
Former concert pianist and piano teacher Kerry Barnes is a prolific composer with nearly 200 works to her name, spanning the Neo-Classical and New Age genres. She writes for piano, choirs, ballet schools, and orchestras, with her sheet music available through SMP Press, Sheet Music Direct, and Pitch Perfect Music Services.
Kerry’s work has gained significant recognition, including a feature in Marlene Moore’s 2024 book Living Women Composers. She is also a Classical Broadcaster for One World Music Radio and composes healing piano music for The River of Calm in the USA. Her compositions can be streamed on all digital platforms under her record label, DistroKid.
Composer of Dolciano in Back To Basics Piano Book 7
Kerry Barnes, England
Composer of Primero in Back To Basics Piano Book 10
Donna Mitchell, USA
Donna Mitchell is an American born composer with a BM degree in Music Theory and Composition. Her compositions and arrangements are in many styles from classic, popular, sacred, romantic to new age and relaxation for beginner to advanced musicians. Among these works, she has written for vocal, instrumental, piano and strings.
Most of her works can be purchased through SMP, SMD or JW Pepper which has links to her YouTube channel videos. Recordings are available to listen to on most streaming platforms. She has taught piano lessons for many years in public and private schools: both classroom group lessons and private instruction and is currently teaching in her own home studio. She is also an active member of her local music club (under the National Federation of Music Clubs) which promotes students through charitable contributions by way of scholarships for university studies and other musical opportunities.
Composer of Remembering in Back To Basics Piano Book 7
Rachael Lillie, France
Rachael Lillie was the student of Marlene Moore , for several years, in British Columbia, Canada. With very high music ability, a love for piano and much dedication, the concept of composition was a fairly easy step.
Rachael composed Remembering when she was 13 years old, at which time she gave Marlene her permission to publish this beautiful composition in Back To Basics Piano Book 7. It has consistently remained one of the favorite piano pieces by teachers and students. Rachael now lives in France.
Shouts from an Old, Rosewood Piano
Milica Lawrence performs Marlene Moore's Shouts from an Old, Rosewood Piano in Malta, 2024
Magnus Opus
Milica Lawrence performs Marlene Moore's Magnus Opus in Malta, 2023
Milica Lawrence completed her piano and harpsichord studies at the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade, Serbia. Here, Milica specialized in chamber music and received her Doctor of Musical Arts Degree (DMA) at the same Faculty. She attended piano and harpsichord masterclasses with many distinguished Serbian and international artists such as Sergei Dorensky, Jegor Chugaev, Pavel Nersessian, Huguette Dreyfus, Egon Mihajlovic, Olivera Djurdjevic, Yuri Kot, Maria Luisa Baldassari, etc.
Milica has won many prizes for solo and ensemble performances at domestic and international competitions. She has also held a great number of solo recitals and chamber music concerts both in the country and abroad (Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, Macedonia, Libya, etc.). Notably, her recital at the Italian Cultural Centre in Tripoli is noted as the first concert by a Serbian pianist in Africa. She has participated in reviews of modern classical music as well as in festivals BEMUS, OKTOH, Cello Fest, Basomanija, and many more.
Milica has taken part as an orchestra member in the Faculty of Music Arts Orchestra in Belgrade, and as a guest member in the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, Dusan Skovran String Orchestra, Schlesinger Orchestra, Mokranjac Chamber Orchestra, Zemun Chamber Orchestra.
Featured Pianists
Throughout her career she has collaborated with many renowned artists - Sreten Krstic, Uros Lajovic, Dmitry and Alexander Sitkovetsky, Charles Zachary Bornstein, Milos Petrović. With the Chamber Orchestra Mokranjac, the FILUM Orchestra, and the Schlesinger Orchestra Milica performed as a soloist. She has also recorded for radio and TV. At the First International Competition Beogradski Pobednik in 2005, she was the only pianist who received recognition by the Russian Centre for Science and Culture in Serbia and Montenegro for special artistic participation - 'Ruski dom u Beogradu'. Milica has worked for fifteen years as an independent artistic collaborator at the String Department at the Faculty of Philology and Arts in Kragujevac, Serbia. ln 2019 she becomes resident of Malta and opens Malta Piano Academy in Mosta and Gozo while maintaining an actlve soloist career at the same time. From 2019 to 2022 she also worked at Mikiel Anton Vassalli College as a piano teacher and accompanist. ln August 2022. Milica organised the first ever Malta Piano Festival in Gozo. She is currently working on her very first digital and printed magazine in Malta "Pianist.mt".
Juli Carder
Juli Carder performs Marlene Moore's At The Dance
Certified Back To Basics Piano Teacher
Juli Carder is a certified Back To Basics Piano Teacher. Born in Pender, Nebraska, Juli currently resides in Arizona. Her love for music began at an early age when her parents bought an upright piano when she was just four years old. She quickly developed the ability to play by ear and understand the relationships between chords. After formal lessons began in 1959, Juli continued to develop her musical skills, later expanding her knowledge with a Hammond organ and becoming a dedicated accompanist in high school. She also worked as a vocal music teacher for K-9 grades for 10 years, further honing her piano skills during this time.
Juli has been performing for over 45 years, primarily as an accompanist in churches throughout Nebraska and Iowa, playing both piano and organ in various settings, from traditional to contemporary. Although she has not composed music herself, she is eager to learn the craft.
As a teacher, Juli embraces the Back To Basics curriculum, which she discovered through Marlene on Facebook. She values the hybrid teaching approach of the program, which combines rote learning with sight-reading and emphasizes hand positioning and improvisation. Juli enjoys seeing the "aha moments" in her students and loves inspiring them to progress and enjoy playing the piano. Her compassion and understanding make her an exceptional and inspiring educator.
At The Dance
Amie Webster interviews Marlene Moore on Motif Music Studio's Composer Feature
Composer Feature
Amie Webster performs Marlene Moore's Natal Dance
ARCT Piano Teacher, BC Registered Music Teacher, founder of Motif Music Studios
Amie Webster is a passionate music educator, the owner of Motif Music Studios, and an enthusiastic piano teacher with 28 years of experience. She is also a mom of three busy boys and, alongside her husband Jeff Webster, founded Motif Music Studios in 2010.
Her teaching career began in an unconventional way—while still a teenager, Amie was entrusted with 85 students by her own teacher, an experience that shaped her approach to music education. Studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), she quickly realized the importance of mentorship, lifelong learning, and professionalism in teaching. This belief in continuous learning led Amie to pursue further training in music education for children, reinforcing her philosophy that the best educators never stop learning.
Natal Dance
Amie's early exposure to the business side of teaching influenced her approach when founding Motif Music Studios. She established the studio with clear policies, strong pedagogy, and a commitment to nurturing students’ musical growth. Now, Motif Music Studios is a collaborative, multi-teacher music school, with a team of creative, heart-led educators who focus on celebrating students' individual strengths and helping them thrive.
As a YouTube creator, Amie enjoys introducing creative teaching ideas and highlighting piano music by contemporary composers. This has become a fun-filled, life-giving pursuit that she hopes encourages other teachers on their individual teaching journeys.
Amie is fueled by passion, caffeine, and curiosity, and is grateful for the many beautiful ways music has been woven into her life.
Francesco Mazzonetto performs Marlene Moore's Magnus Opus at the Steinway Studio in Turin, Italy, 2022
Francesco Mazzonetto was born in August 1997 in Turin. He obtained the 2nd level Academic Diploma in piano with top marks and honors at the ISSM “O. Vecchi – A.Tonelli” of Modena under the guidance of Maestro Marco Sollini after having already brilliantly achieved the VO Diploma under the guidance of Maestro Alessio Cioni. He obtains a master's degree in chamber music with Maestro Pier Narciso Masi at the Accademia Musica e Arte in Florence and participates in international masterclasses of advanced piano specialization. He specialized on scholarship with maestros Riccardo Risaliti and Boris Petrushansky at the Advanced courses at the International Piano Academy of Imola "Meetings with the Maestro". He is selected in Maestro Jefferey Swann's Masterclass. He was also selected for the High Piano Masterclass held by M° Lilya Zilberstein at the Accademia Internazionale Musicale Chigiana. He was selected with a scholarship and five concerts, the only Italian, by Maestro Gintaras Janusevicius at the Feuerwerk International Piano Academy; in 2022 he was selected to participate in the advanced piano masterclass held by maestro Gianluca Luisi at the XI International summer Piano Academy in Disentis, Switzerland.
Magnus Opus
Since 2022 he has been Artistic Director of the “Musica Regina in Villa” International Music Festival, which takes place at Villa della Regina in Turin for the enhancement of cultural heritage and young people through music. He has won numerous national and international piano competitions including:
1st Absolute Prize Concours Musical de France in Paris.
1st Absolute Prize at the 4th edition of the youth section of the International Piano Competition of the city of Osimo.
1st Prize "Lazar Berman" International Piano Competition.
Overall winner of the 3rd "Pietro Montani" International Competition.
He performs with great acclaim from the public and critics as a soloist, in chamber ensembles and with orchestra in concert halls in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, England and the United States, just to name a few: Auditorium G. Agnelli of Lingotto, Auditorium Orsanmichele in Florence, Unione Musicale in Turin, Palazzo Spinola and Accademia Ligustica in Genoa with the GOG partnership, IIC in Hamburg, Gartensaal in Wolfsburg, Auditorium Tacchi – Morris UK, Steinway Hall in New York, IIC Grande Salle in Paris, in Sweden at the Norrlands Operan in Umeå, at the Acadiana Center for the Arts in Lafayette in Louisiana, at the “Infanta Dona Elena” Auditorium in Aguilas in Spain, at the Cerruti Foundation which houses one of the largest and most important private collections of works of art in the world, in the Hall of Mirrors of the Government Palace of Cosenza. In 2024 he made his debut in the prestigious concert season “Musik an der ETH und UZH” for the University of Zurich with the collaboration of the IIC of Zurich. Always in 2024 he performs for “Polincontri Musica” concert season at Torino’s Politecnico with Gianluca Luisi under the direction of actress Amanda Sandrelli, at the end of 2024 he performed with great success for the Rossini Foundation of Savona, performing the Sonata op. 106 “Hammerklavier” by L. van Beethoven. In February 2025 he held a concert with the Orchestra in the Auditorium of the “G. Verdi” Conservatory of Turin, performing the Concerto K 466 by W. A. Mozart.
He plays for numerous editions of the “Armonie della Sera” International Festival.
Invited by Maestro Uto Ughi he plays at the "International Green Music Festival".
His CD "Italian Piano Works" was released in the spring of 2017 with the SONY Classical label, reviewed in various magazines and media, including Amadeus magazine where it received five stars, and broadcast regularly on the radio in Italy and abroad. His second album for SONY MUSIC “Italian Piano Works Vol. II” has been released in spring 2024, reviewed in the prestigious magazine “Musica”.
Back To Basics Piano teacher, Frances Louard, performs Marlene Moore's Lullabye For My Mother
Back To Basics Piano teacher, Veralin Lee, performs Marlene Moore's Tangos
Lullabye for My Mother
Tangos
Complete Piano Works
By Randi Botnen, Norway (1976-2025)
Randi Botnen was a Norwegian composer and pianist from Oslo, known for her deeply melodic and expressive classical compositions. Best recognized for her evocative piano works, she also composed violin sonatas, orchestral pieces, and string quartets, showcasing remarkable versatility. Inspired by early influences such as Tchaikovsky and Beethoven, her music blends technical brilliance with emotional depth, resonating with both performers and audiences worldwide. Her works have been performed internationally, and in 2024, she was honored as Composer Laureate in the International Composers for Beauty Competition—a testament to her exceptional artistry.
A lifelong dream of Randi’s was to bring all her piano works together in a single volume, with Auguste Renoir’s Two Young Girls as the cover. This collection, Complete Piano Works, features all 17 of her piano compositions, ranging from intermediate to advanced levels, offering pianists the opportunity to explore her distinct musical voice. She approved the final version of her book before passing peacefully in her sleep, free from pain after a long battle with cancer. In a final act of generosity, she made the sheet music freely available to the public, ensuring her music would be shared for generations to come.
Beyond her compositions, Randi was a beloved member of the classical music community, admired not only for her talent but also for her dedication to supporting fellow composers. Understanding the challenges faced by those devoted to melodic classical music, she founded the Together for Melody Foundation, a nonprofit committed to fostering creativity and providing scholarships and grants to composers worldwide.
Through her music and her foundation, Randi Botnen’s influence continues to inspire musicians and composers around the world. Her legacy lives on in every note she wrote, in the composers she supported, and in the timeless beauty of the music she left behind.
You can download Complete Piano Works for free. If you wish to contribute to the foundation, your generosity is deeply appreciated but never required.
Randi performing her award winning composition, Etude for Piano
Capriccio (for Marlene Moore)
Performed by Amie Webster
Contento
Contento is a piano composition in 7/8, inspired by Picasso's painting <El Piano>
Beginners' Pieces
Performed by Bethany Wakim
youtube.com/@pianorandi
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