ArrangeMe-Published Titles Selected to be performed at the 79th Midwest Clinic

A record 13 composers and arrangers from ArrangeMe will have their music performed at The Midwest Clinic 2025!

The Midwest Clinic International Band, Orchestra, and Music Conference draws 18,000 attendees from all 50 states and over 40 countries. This includes music educators, composers, arrangers, publishers, and industry professionals. Along with insightful speaker sessions, networking opportunities, and an exhibit hall featuring vendors like ArrangeMe and Hal Leonard, the conference also showcases performances by distinguished ensembles—from middle school bands to United States military bands.

With its massive visibility, a performance at The Midwest Clinic is a prestigious honor. We’re thrilled to hear all the pieces created by members of the ArrangeMe community featured this year!

Will you be attending The Midwest Clinic? Learn more about these performances below, and don’t forget to stop by the Hal Leonard/ArrangeMe booth in the Exhibit Hall to meet the team!

Congratulations to the following ArrangeMe members on this incredible achievement!

Stockton Helbing

Dallas, TX

Stockton Helbing is a Dallas-based drummer, composer, arranger, producer, and educator who performs, records, and teaches across North America. Since 2011, he has toured the United States as drummer for Doc Severinsen and leads his own ensembles. Stockton has released eight albums and authored two percussion books used at the University of North Texas, where he teaches drum set. He also directs the Helbing Jazz Initiative, a Dallas school outreach program honored with DJAM’s Jazz Innovator award.

Get your copies of “Private Burgers” and “Roof Rats” here!

Anderson Leal

Pará, Brazil

*Anderson’s arrangement of* *“Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni for Saxophone Quartet”* *will be performed by the* *Creekview Saxophone Ensemble* *on December, 18, 2025 at 4:15 PM - 05:15 PM. Check the link for the program and location details.*

A Brazilian musician from Pará, Anderson began studying flute at 16, focusing on chamber and orchestral music. During the pandemic, they searched for ways to stay active and discovered SMP Press, now ArrangeMe, which introduced them to arranging for online publication. By 2022, they found success by aligning their chamber music interests with customer needs. Today, alongside performing professionally and holding a music degree, ArrangeMe is their main and creative laboratory. They are grateful to Hal Leonard for this platform.

From the arranger: This saxophone ensemble arrangement of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana -Intermezzo captures the work’s solemn emotion through dynamic shading and shared melodic lines. Using the saxophones’ expressive blend, it honors the operatic tradition of the original.

Find your copy of “Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni for Saxophone Quartet” here!

Jonathan Eno

Derbyshire, England

Jonathan Eno’s arrangement of “The Swan” will be performed by the Creekview Saxophone Ensemble on December, 18, 2025 at
04:15 PM - 05:15 PM. Check the link for the program and location details.

Having grown up in a musical family that includes both Roger and Brian Eno, his career began as a trumpeter and MD, touring the world. Jon is the recipient of dozens of international and national awards for outstanding services to music education and was delighted to receive a British Empire Medal alongside the UK parliamentary award for education. His passion for composition and arranging was ignited by the team at Anglia Ruskin where he competed an MA in Music Composition and he enjoys writing music and tutor books that inspire beginners to invest in their own individual musical journeys.

The Swan is one of the most beautiful and recognisable songs in the western world and I wanted to bring an accessible and light arrangement of this graceful melody to saxophone ensemble. Being a late starter on the saxophone, I have been amazed at how communicative and vocal this instrument is. I believe that this ensemble setting deserves more classical arrangements that help amplify a natural sense of beauty.

Purchase “The Swan” here!

Martin Norgaard

Atlanta, GA

Martin Norgaard is Professor of Music Education and Director of the Music Cognition and Creativity Lab at Georgia State University in Atlanta. He collaborates with faculty in occupational therapy, neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, mathematics, and computer science to investigate the cognitive processes underlying improvisation and related therapeutic applications. His research appears in the Journal of Research in Music Education, The International Journal of Music Education, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Cognition, Scientific Reports, Brain Sciences, Brain Connectivity, and the interdisciplinary journal Music Perception among others.

Dr. Norgaard is the author of ten jazz string method books for Mel Bay Publications including Jazz Fiddle Wizard and Jazz Fiddle/Viola/Cello Wizard Junior and the composer of several string orchestra pieces. Dr. Norgaard is a frequent clinician at state, national, and international conventions such as The ISME World Conference on Music Education, NeuroMusic, The Midwest Clinic, NAfME, ASTA, GMEA, and TMEA among others. More information about his work can be found at https://www.jazzfiddlewizard.com/ .

Find Martin Norgaard’s Arrangement of “Georgia on My Mind” here!

Bianca d’Avila do Prado

Chicago, IL

Brazilian cellist, pedagogue, and composer Bianca d’Avila do Prado teaches at the Music Institute of Chicago, where she coordinates the bilingual Third Coast Suzuki Strings program, and at the Northwestern University Music Academy. She holds master’s degrees in Cello Performance and String Pedagogy from Illinois State University and was named a Distinguished Young Teacher by the SAA in 2024. Bianca promotes accessible Latin-American string music through published articles, compositions, and educational resources.

From the composer: Valsa para Sofia is dedicated to the composer’s first young cello student in Brazil, whose joyful spirit and growth as a musician inspired this piece. The work honors all students the composer has taught, from beginners to those who continued into advanced study, whose journeys continue to inspire her as a teacher and artist. This short waltz reflects the path of a young musician, growing from simple sounds to expressive music while keeping the joy of childhood.

Find “Valsa para Sofia”, here!

Sam Ormson

Vancouver, WA

Sam Ormson is a seasoned music educator with 26 years of experience, including 22 at Mountain View High School in Vancouver, Washington. He directs Jazz Ensemble I, Chamber Orchestra, co-teaches concert bands, and oversees the chamber music program. His groups have earned national acclaim with multiple Midwest Clinic appearances. Sam has collaborated with distinguished artists, presented at regional conferences, and holds advanced degrees and National Board Certification. His work has earned several major awards recognizing excellence in music education.

From the arranger: When I first heard the band Snarky Puppy years ago, I was struck by how tight and clean they played and how infectious the grooves of their music were. After I heard them live for the first time in 2015, I knew that I had to find a way to share this music with my high school big band. There were no arrangements available, so I sat down and started writing. This arrangement is a chance to share my love of Snarky's music with my high school students. Through many revisions, we created our version that tries to stay true to the original but also incorporates the entire big band instrumentation. When my big band got invited to play at the 2025 Midwest Clinic, I knew we wanted to showcase this piece as well as share the stage with one of my favorite saxophonists of all time - Snarky Puppy band member Bob Reynolds. I put the finishing touches on the arrangement and am extremely grateful for the opportunities provided by Hal Leonard and ArrangeMe to publish this music for others to play. If you're coming to Chicago - come and hear Bob and the band!

Find Sam Ormson’s arrangement of “Shofukan”, here!

Vessela Stoyanova

Boston, MA

A widely respected performer, composer, and educator, Vessela Stoyanova enjoys an unusually varied musical career. Her unique voice as a composer stems from the influence of her native Bulgarian folk music, combined with a background in classical marimba, and a mixture of contemporary styles ranging from tango to progressive metal. Her compositions have been recorded by numerous ensembles and performed at major New England area venues including the Berklee Performance Center, Jordan Hall, and Mechanic’s Hall.

As a performer Vessela combines virtuosic mallet technique with the world of electronics, using the rare “Marimba Lumina” -- a sophisticated mallet MIDI controller.

Currently she performs and writes for a unique project under the name of “Samodivi,” exploring various irregular time signatures and open form modal improvisation nestled inside tight arrangements and interspersed with fast energetic unison lines.

Vessela is also the co-founder of Goli - a modern chamber music duo with long term collaborator cellist and vocalist Valerie Thompson.

Vessela is an associate professor of Harmony at Berklee College of Music, where she also serves as a director for Aspire: Five Week Summer Performance Intensive, a highly respected program for aspiring young musicians. She is the co-author of “Berklee Contemporary Music Theory” textbook published by Hal Leonard.

When not in a classroom, rehearsal room, recording studio, or concert hall, Vessela can be found climbing a mountain, swimming in the ocean, or otherwise moving through nature.

Find “Mountain Goats and Other Creatures” by Vessela Stoyanova here!