I began my career as a trumpet player and music educator, and for more than four decades my work has centered on helping children learn to play musical instruments. In 1994, I founded Children’s Music Workshop, which grew into a large instrumental music program serving schools and families throughout the Los Angeles area. That experience placed me in classrooms and rehearsals with thousands of young musicians and gave me a very practical understanding of what helps beginning students succeed—and what often causes them to become frustrated or lose interest.

Over the years, I began creating my own teaching materials because I could not always find books that moved at the right pace, explained concepts clearly, and gave children enough enjoyable music to keep them motivated. Those materials gradually developed into Music Fun Books, an educational publishing company that now offers hundreds of titles for young musicians and beginners. The catalog includes books for violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, recorder, guitar, ukulele, and other instruments, along with solos, duets, holiday collections, classical themes, and beginning method books.

As I have moved into retirement from the daily operation of school music programs, Music Fun Books has become my primary professional and creative focus. I see it as the natural continuation of everything I learned during decades of teaching. Instead of reaching only the students in one school or one city, I can now create materials that help children, parents, and teachers throughout the country and around the world.

What matters most to me is that the books come from real classroom experience. They are designed around the places where children commonly struggle and the kinds of music that make them want to keep playing. My goal is not simply to publish more books. It is to make beginning music education less intimidating, more enjoyable, and more successful, so that more children develop a lifelong connection with music.

It has definitely not been a completely smooth road. One of the biggest challenges was balancing several demanding roles at once. For many years, I was teaching, performing, managing Children’s Music Workshop, hiring and supervising instructors, working with schools and parents, and creating new instructional materials. The publishing side often had to grow in the margins of an already very full schedule.

Another struggle was learning that writing a good music book is only one part of the process. Publishing also requires editing, design, formatting, production, distribution, marketing, website development, and keeping up with changing technology. Those were not areas I was formally trained in, so much of it had to be learned through trial and error. I have revised many books, changed systems that were no longer working, and occasionally discovered that something I thought would connect with teachers or parents did not reach them as effectively as I had hoped.

Discoverability has also been an ongoing challenge. There are many music books available, and it can be difficult for parents and teachers to know which materials are truly appropriate for a young beginner. Music Fun Books has grown largely through persistence, word of mouth, and the trust that comes from decades of classroom experience. Even with a large catalog, I still have to work constantly on helping people find the right book for the right student.

The transition into retirement created another kind of challenge. I wanted to step away from the daily operation of large school programs without stepping away from meaningful work. It took time to recognize that Music Fun Books could become the main focus of this next chapter. That shift has required me to rethink how I use my time, how the company presents itself, and how to turn many years of teaching experience into resources that can reach students far beyond Los Angeles.

The road has included plenty of mistakes, delays, and projects that took much longer than expected. But those difficulties have also shaped the company. Most of the improvements in the books came from noticing where students struggled, listening to teachers and parents, and being willing to revise the material. In that sense, the challenges have been part of the creative process.

Larry Newman — Music Fun Books / Children’s Music Workshop

Music Fun Books is the educational publishing division of Children’s Music Workshop, the Los Angeles-based music education company I founded in 1994.

Music Fun Books is an independent educational publishing company specializing in approachable, engaging music books for children, beginning musicians, teachers, and families. The company grew directly out of my more than 40 years of experience as a music educator, professional trumpet player, and founder of school instrumental music programs throughout the Los Angeles area.

I began creating my own materials because I repeatedly saw the same problem in the classroom: many beginning music books moved too quickly, offered too little enjoyable music, or assumed that every student learned in the same way. Young musicians often became frustrated before they had the opportunity to experience the satisfaction of actually making music. Music Fun Books was created to help solve that problem.

Today, the catalog includes hundreds of instructional and performance titles for violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, recorder, piano, guitar, ukulele, and other instruments. The collection includes beginning method books, solos, duets, classical themes, holiday music, patriotic songs, ensemble materials, and supplementary books designed to keep students progressing and interested.

What sets Music Fun Books apart is that the materials are grounded in extensive, firsthand teaching experience. These are not books developed only from theory or market research. They grew out of real classrooms, rehearsals, and lessons with young musicians. I have seen where beginners commonly struggle, which explanations tend to make sense to them, and how important it is to give students achievable goals and enjoyable music from the beginning.

I am especially proud that Music Fun Books serves many different kinds of learners. Some students are working with private teachers, some are participating in school band or orchestra programs, and others are learning at home with help from a parent. The books are designed to be clear, welcoming, and useful in all of those settings.

The company’s mission is simple: to make learning a musical instrument less intimidating and more rewarding. I want students to feel successful early, enjoy the process, and develop the confidence to keep going. A child who remains engaged long enough to experience the joy of making music may develop a relationship with music that lasts a lifetime.

As I have retired from the day-to-day operation of school music programs, Music Fun Books has become the primary focus of this next chapter of my career. It allows me to take everything I learned from decades of teaching and share it with students, parents, and educators far beyond the schools I could personally reach. Readers can explore the catalog, instructional resources, and free materials at MusicFunBooks.com.

The resources that help me most tend to be practical ones that allow me to keep learning, organizing ideas, and turning those ideas into finished work. I regularly use digital publishing, design, website, and research tools to develop Music Fun Books and make the materials easier for teachers, parents, and students to find. More recently, artificial intelligence tools have also become useful creative assistants for brainstorming, editing, organizing large projects, improving website content, and exploring new ways to support music educators. I see technology as a collaborator rather than a replacement for experience or judgment.

Books and articles about entrepreneurship, marketing, education, and creativity have also influenced me, although I would be hard-pressed to name one resource that changed everything. My career has developed through the accumulation of many ideas over time. I am especially drawn to resources that emphasize creating useful work, listening carefully to the people you serve, and continuing to improve rather than waiting for perfection.

My most valuable resource, however, has always been direct contact with teachers and students. Decades in classrooms taught me more than any business book could about what young musicians need. Watching a student struggle with an explanation, respond to a familiar song, or suddenly understand a musical concept has shaped the way I write and revise my books. Feedback from teachers and parents continues to help me see where materials can be made clearer or more useful.

Music itself is also an essential resource in my life. I continue to practice the trumpet and perform jazz because it keeps me connected to the creative experience at the center of everything I do. Playing music reminds me that learning never really ends. Whether I am practicing an instrument, developing a new book, or learning a new technology, I try to remain curious and willing to be a beginner again.