Gary A. Edwards Composer

Since 1956, Gary has performed in bands of all sizes from single to symphony and many styles from opera to rock and country; to classical, choral and musical theatre.  

Edwards writes for various types of groups including piano solo, cello solo, bass solo, string trio, string orchestra, youth orchestra, full orchestra, wind, band and brass ensemble, musical theater pit orchestra, rock and dance bands at all levels of  difficulty.  

Edwards has composed several pieces of music performed by various Coeur d’Alene (Idaho) High School musical ensembles and The Strazz Youth Orchestra of Carson City Nevada, has written eight musicals, an opera, two concertos (piano and string bass,) three screenplays, a TV sit-com and hundreds of pieces of music. He worked for years as a composer, videographer, editor and Spanish translator for CMTV Community Minded Television Channel 14 which has broadcast 64 of his videos on CMTV Channel 14 Comcast Cable in Spokane, Washington.  

Edwards composes in most styles including classical, rock, country, children's, jazz, choral, gospel, Latin, film, and musical theatre. His music has received airplay in  Washington, Idaho and other states and countries including Columbia, Estonia and Russia.  He has published 17 books.  

Edwards has released 14 music CDs, two music videos and formed EdwardsMusicSite.com, a company (ASCAP) that primarily releases his music. Edwards has received three grants from ASCAP recognizing his composing  
contributions to the American cultural scene.  He has been nominated three times for the Mayor’s (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho) Excellence in the Arts Award, and once for the Governor’s (Idaho) Excellence in the Arts Award.  

Edwards has composed the soundtrack for produced movies including How To Date Beautiful Women and Across Bank Street: Dimensions which premiered December 5 th , 2021, and composed the score for a feature film entitled Mistaken Moves, filmed  by Litterateur Productions in Las Vegas. He is on the Board of Litterateur, supervising music production. His screenplay, The Prodigy received two Fresh Voices Spotlight Award Nominations including for “bridging cultures.” He was the Playwright/Composer in Residence at the Ignite Theater. His musical Christmas on The Concourse ended a two-week run on December 20th, 2015 at the Ignite Theater in Spokane Valley and was a huge success. He was Composer in Residence at the  
Carson City Symphony’s Strings in The Schools Harmonica Festival May 9, 2015 in Nevada featuring a concert of his compositions. His website contains a video of his  conducting the Coeur d’Alene Symphony in an original work titled “A Prayer For Peace.” He produced A Tribute To Mildred Bailey Show several times at the Coeur d’Alene Casino and other venues from November 2018 to December 2021, transcribed all the music and conducted the seven piece band. He transcribed and orchestrated the music for the SayRoar animated films studio sold-out concert by the Coeur d’Alene Symphony on 6/12/2019. He has also published 36 articles in national computer magazines.   

His recent major works include the Qualchan and  Whistalks Opera and Wataino Latin-jazz-Taino inspired music CD and his bilingual music CD entitled Amor, Life and Chupacabra Songs. Gary’s Christmas Cantata entitled Night of A Miracle is scheduled to be performed at  Chun University on December 20 th , 2022 at Charleton North Caroline. He also arranged a hymn opera entitled A Heritage of Praise which is scheduled to be performed at Chun University in June 2023. 

After graduation from the Indiana University School of Music, Gary taught music in  the Louisville, Kentucky Pubic Schools and played in the Louisville Symphony. During this time he became a Civil Rights Activist. As a Civil Rights activist he was  
arrested in 1998 for protesting Neo-Nazis in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, sued the City of Coeur d’Alene and Kootenai County, the charges were dropped, the County paid $15,000 in a settlement, and Edwards won a lawsuit against the of Coeur d’Alene at the 9 th Circuit Court of appeals in 2001, which cost the City $44,000.  

Edwards also had a 40 year career as a licensed Social Worker. He was in the Peace Corps in Santiago, Chile. He then worked in various poverty programs in Idaho, primarily with Spanish-speaking populations. He then worked in the San Francisco Bay area as a social worker, again with primarily Spanish-speaking clients. He then worked as a Child Protection Investigator for the State of Idaho for 17 years including five years as a Child Protection, Juvenile Justice and Children’s Mental Health unit supervisor. After retirement from the state he worked as a Migrant Head Start Administrator in Washington State and a paralegal for a law firm, specializing as an advocate for injured Spanish-speaking farm workers. He then opened his own Mental Health Agency working with mentally ill adults and children in North Idaho for eight years. During this time he also worked as a translator for courts in felony cases. He also translated and facilitated the publishing of a bilingual book dictated to him in Spanish entitled Hope Never Dies, by Tony Orozco.  

During all of this time, Gary worked in various bands and music performance groups and composed original music up to the present. His books, music CDS and videos are available on Amazon. Com and www.EdwardsMusicSite.com. Email address is edwardsgaryallen@gmail.com