Case Studies & Student Wins

Below you’ll find stories from Wizarding School students who have implemented the creative and career-building tools I teach.

Check out what they've accomplished to see what’s possible for you in your composing.

DISCLAIMER: These results are not automatic. I bring 25+ years of composing experience and a PhD in Music Composition and Theory to my teaching, which shapes what students learn and how they apply it.

Most composers who fail to supplement their university training (or who rely only textbooks and YouTube videos) see limited progress. Universities excel at teaching technical skills like harmony and orchestration, but they don't systematically teach the creative processes, music cognition principles, or career-building strategies that working composers actually need.

The examples below came because my students rolled up their sleeves, did the work, and actively collaborated with me as their mentor. They took risks, stayed consistent, and pushed through the inevitable challenges.

Your own results will depend on your experience and work ethic. If you’re looking for overnight success or instant artistic growth, these results do not apply.

Her Second Ever Orchestra Piece Was Performed and Published

  • Composer: Stephanie Plautz

  • Piece: The Warmth in Yearning

  • Successes:

    • Programmed by the Concord Chamber Orchestra (WI) for its 2025–2026 concert season

    • Selected for the reading session of the the Texas Orchestra Directors Association 2025 Summer Convention in San Antonio

    • Published by Zicato Music in 2024

    • Recorded by the Budapest Art Orchestra in the Wizarding School for Composers’ 2023 Orchestral Composition Intensive

His Piano Concerto Won an International Prize and Received Its World Premiere

  • Composer: Danny English

  • Piece: Piano Concerto

  • Successes:

    • 2nd prize in the World Piano Day International Composition Competition in Belgium

    • Programmed by the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra (PA) for its 2025–2026 concert season

She Went from Professional Cellist to Published Composer

  • Composer: Katie Troy

  • Successes:

    • English horn and piano piece "Runaway Llama Train" published through TrevCo Music

    • Commissioned by the South Georgia String Project

    • Commissioned by the Concordia University Symphonia (MI), led by Dr. Eduard Teregulov

    • "Alligator Alley" (solo cello piece) performed frequently by cellist Dr. Eduard Teregulov as an encore