Glenda Austin is a composer, arranger, and pianist from Joplin, Missouri. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri in Columbia, where she earned a B.S. in music education and a M.M. in piano performance. Besides playing for various community theater, civic and church activities, Ms. Austin has also taught general music in both public and private schools in Joplin for close to 30 years. In addition, she is an adjunct faculty member of Missouri Southern State University and serves as pianist for various chamber and concert choirs. Ms. Austin is currently an active clinician for the Willis Music Company and has presented clinics and showcases regionally, nationally, as well as in Canada and Japan. Her works are based strongly on melody and are consistently placed on the National Federation of Music Clubs Junior Festival list, and she has been commissioned by Clavier magazine, as well as several teachers organizations. Because of her close association as student and friend of the late renowned children's composer William Gillock, she was chosen by Willis to simplify the popular Gillock series New Orleans Jazz Styles as well as to arrange the series as four-hand duets.
