Stephen Mitton
Composer - Educator - Cellist
Leading Tones Music, LLC is an online publisher of mixed-level band and orchestra scores that I started with my friend and colleague, Melanie Brooks of Winona State University.
The company is dedicated to bringing high-quality, inclusive music to band and orchestra directors across the world. Many performing groups, whether at the college, high school, or community level, have a variety of experience levels represented in their membership. This kind of diversity can often pose a challenge for directors when programming music. We aim to mitigate that challenge by filling in gaps in the repertoire and providing music that engages with people of all walks of life, experience levels, and stages of musical education.
Our projects bring composers, conductors, and performers together to write, direct, and perform new mixed-level music as we work to build this new, in-demand repertoire. We are committed to helping emerging composers to gain visibility by commissioning new music, by providing a platform for its sale and promotion, and by facilitating meaningful collaborations between composers and their communities.