Rick Stitzel Sheet Music

About Rick Stitzel

Rick Stitzel is a highly regarded American composer, arranger, and jazz educator, widely recognized for his significant contributions to the world of jazz music, particularly in the big band genre. With a career spanning decades, Stitzel's distinctive writing style has made his works a staple for jazz ensembles across educational and professional spheres worldwide, establishing him as a prominent figure in contemporary jazz arranging and pedagogy.

  • Rick Stitzel earned both his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Education degrees, with a specialization in Jazz Studies, from the University of North Texas in Denton.
  • His extensive career in composition includes writing music for hundreds of radio and television commercials, as well as arranging for live and televised variety shows and major theme parks, including Six Flags.
  • Stitzel serves as the Director of Jazz Studies and a brass teacher at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas, where he has been active in jazz education for over 30 years.
  • His jazz compositions and arrangements have gained international acclaim, being performed by professional and school bands at prestigious events such as the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland and the Pink Pop Jazz Festival in Germany.

Performing Rick Stitzel's sheet music offers a rewarding experience for a wide range of musicians, from developing school ensembles to seasoned professional big bands. His arrangements are available across various difficulty levels, including the "Easy Jazz Ensemble Series," "Discovery Jazz," and "Young Jazz Ensemble" series, making his music accessible to different skill sets. Stitzel's charts are celebrated for being "great sounding" and "fun to play," ensuring that bands consistently achieve an excellent sound. Musicians will find his compositions to be engaging and stylistically authentic, providing valuable opportunities to develop ensemble cohesion and explore the rich traditions of jazz performance.

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