Music Reports, 21122 Erwin St, Woodland Hills, CA 91367, US

Since its founding in 1922, Alfred Publishing Company has remained dedicated to helping people learn, teach and play music. With over hundreds of expert authors and composers backed by a talented staff in seven offices throughout the world, Alfred publishes educational, reference, pop and performance pieces for teachers, students, hobbyists and performers spanning every musical instrument, style and difficulty level. The company was started by Alfred Piantodosi, a composer and musician, in New York in 1922. Piantodosi's modest Tin Pan Alley pop song catalog included such hits as "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee" and "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" songs that even today generate revenue for the company. In 1928, Sam Manus, a violinist who had provided background music for silent movies, bought the company. The company has been owned by the Manus family ever since, spanning three generations. In the 1980s sales doubled to more than $12 million annually. The 1990s saw an expansion into the international market with branch offices in Australia, Asia, the U.K. and Germany, and sales doubling again to over $25 million. On June 2005, Alfred Publishing acquired Warner Bros. Publications from the Warner Music Group, increasing its overall sales again to $60 million. Alfred Publishing currently has more than 45,000 active print, DVD, software, general MIDI, audio CD and enhanced CD titles in circulation throughout the world. Its titles represent a full range of musical tastes and styles, including works by George and Ira Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Henry Mancini, Tony Bennett, Jim Brickman, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Carlos Santana, Madonna, Nickelback, Van Halen, Neil Young, Green Day, Evanescence, and others. Alfred Publishing is also the No.1 educational publisher in the world. In addition to its own titles, Alfred Publishing distributes works from the National Guitar Workshop, Studio 4 Productions, the Dover Music catalog, Faber Music, and Myklas Music Press. Alfred Publishing is headquartered in Van Nuys, Calif., and also has offices in Miami, New York, Cologne, London, Singapore and Sydney.