Elizabeth C. Axford, M.A. (Liz) is an award-winning songwriter, composer, arranger, producer, author, pianist, and piano instructor. The owner of Piano Press Studio www.piano-press-studio.com, Liz has written and published hundreds of piano pieces and arrangements available through www.piano-press-catalog.com. She has had numerous placements of her solo classical piano performances, instrumental arrangements, and original songs in films, TV shows, videos, and commercials. Her recordings have been heard during new episodes of network and cable TV shows, newscasts, syndicated TV shows and reruns, TV movies, movies shown on TV, and TV commercials on over 50 networks and streaming services. Film placements include The Chosen One starring Rob Schneider and Steve Buscemi, Prime Video's In Search of Walt Whitman, Sol LeWitt: Wall Drawings, Britain's Favourite Sweets, The Sacred Bee, and numerous independent films screened at film festivals worldwide. TV placements range from long running shows including CBS's The Young and the Restless, NBC's The Today Show, and PBS's Sit and Be Fit to the popular Disney channel shows Raven's Home and Puppy Dog Pals. Ad placements include Straight Talk Wireless, Six Flags, and Chicago's Remy Bumppo, among others. Her music can be heard on over 800 digital compilations, CDs, website videos including those for Scholastic and well-known magazines published by Hearst, retail store background music, video games, apps, ringtones, greeting cards, gift items, and educational resource kits.
Liz is an active member of ASCAP, NARAS, NSAI, CMA, SCL, AIMP, CCC, PMA, NAMM, MTNA, and MTAC. She has voted on and attended The Grammys since 2000 and numerous industry events since 1989. During her 20-year tenure (1990-2010) as NSAI Regional Workshop Coordinator and founder in San Diego, CA and Miami, FL, Liz was responsible for over 300 monthly songwriting workshops, showcases, and special events. She has received service awards from NSAI, songwriting awards, and seven ASCAP PLUS Awards. Liz has an M.A. in Music from San Diego State University and a B.A. in Music from the University of Illinois. Her first industry job after graduating college in 1982 was with the Mark Foster Music Company in Champaign, IL. During her 38 years of teaching studio piano and voice, Liz has held numerous recitals with her students in Miami, FL and La Jolla and Del Mar, CA. Her teaching studio received the Best of Del Mar, CA award 12 years in a row from 2008-2019. From 2011-2019, she taught 70 five-week online music and arts courses for the University of Phoenix. Liz is the author of Traditional World Music Influences in Contemporary Solo Piano Literature, Song Sheets to Software - A Guide to Print Music, Software, Instructional Media, and Web Sites for Musicians, and Music Apps for Musicians and Music Teachers, published by Rowman & Littlefield and found in libraries worldwide.
