On January 9th, Morton Manus, president of Alfred Music, passed away after a battle with cancer.
A beloved figure throughout the MI industry, Morty impacted and affected many. MMR joins those who cherish Mr. Manus’ memory and grieve his passing.
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I am so lucky to have worked side-by-side with my dad for so many years – especially the last few years. He was not only a great father, but also a great co-worker and, best of all, friend.
Morty loved Alfred Music and the work we did. It was his baby, his fourth child. In the final days of his life, I asked him if he had one “bucket list” thing he wanted to do, what would it be, and he said, “To be able to go back into the office one more time.”
The last thing he said to me was that he had 89 years where he was both physically and mentally active and how many people get that? I told him I was greedy and wanted a few more. He laughed and said he was, too.
He had an amazing life and certainly a life well lived. To quote Irving Berlin, “The song is ended, but the melody lingers on…”
-Ron Manus, Alfred Music
At a recent NAMM Chairman’s Reception, Morty and I passed by each other in the crowd, as can only happen when a thousand industry friends gather in one room. It was brief “Hello” kind of thing – so common at those functions and we really didn’t have much time to talk. I felt bad about not being able to spend more time with him and Iris and was surprised to receive a call from Morty the next week. He apologized for not being able to talk more! I was stunned. Here was one of the most famous and important guys in the industry reaching out in an incredibly humble and thoughtful way. I suspect his whole life was lived in that manor. His empathy and concern for his friends and family were legendary. He epitomized the very best of our industry and we will miss him dearly.
-Joe Lamond, NAMM
Morty was one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. He was always supportive and encouraging to me as I was coming into the business. People may talk about Morty’s passion for the business and I think he was passionate, but even more meaningful for me was that Morty truly cared about people – his customers, their customers, his employees, and, of course, his family. His example in this regard is worth remembering and celebrating.
-Lori Supinie, Senseney Music
Morty and Iris were a perfect match. Together they built a company that started with just two copyrights (“Waiting for the Robert E. Lee” and “Ragtime Cowboy Joe”) into one of the finest music publishers in history. My most cherished memory happened last year when they joined us for the NASMD convention in New Orleans. After a long day at the convention and a Second Line Parade to the House of Blues, Morty and Iris were dancing like it was their first date. A true love story.
-George Quinlan, Jr., Quinlan & Fabish Music Co.
In 1983, Pepper was opening its first California office. Morty, Iris, and everyone at Alfred were helpful in many ways, both corporately and personally. I moved my young family to the South Bay Area and was more than a little bit nervous about the dramatic increase in the cost of living, especially housing. I was being paid more than I ever had been and still wasn’t sure I could make it work. One evening I expressed those concerns to Morty and Iris. A knowing smile came over Morty’s face and with the relaxed, soft spoken, reassuring confidence which typified him, he told me that while he couldn’t exactly explain all the reasons why, he was sure, and I should be too, it would all work out. I believed him. It was true. I’ve thought about that conversation literally hundreds of times and told the story more than a few. I’ll never forget him.
-Lee Paynter, J.W. Pepper
My relationship with Morty and Iris began in 1986, when Amanda Vick Lethco asked if I would please call Morty about helping her and Willard Palmer promote Alfred’s Basic Piano Library. Feeling quite intimidated at the time, I finally got up the courage to call and was shocked that he immediately knew who I was (thanks to Amanda!!) and even offered to pick me up at the Burbank airport. I remember that first meeting. He was kind, warm, and genuinely interested in me as a person. But, when he brought me over to the Alfred offices (back then they were in Sherman Oaks), I was immediately impressed that he seemed to know the names of everyoe in the office – their spouses, their children, and it was apparent to me that this was more of a “family” – not just a music publishing company. About a year later, when I was busily composing the duet books for the method, Morty and Iris would call me in Montana every couple of months just to say hello, (I was currently on the piano faculty at the U. of Montana), to ask how my boys were doing, and to express how grateful they were for my contributions as a composer and clinician. I was always impressed by their sincerity and interest in me as a human being! In time, they were almost felt like “surrogate parents” to me and I’ll always be grateful for Morty’s excellent advice, his constant encouragement every step along the way, and mostly for his kind and gentle manner. He was one of a kind and we will all miss his presence in the music industry!
Dennis Alexander, Alfred Music Composer and Clinician
My good friend Morty was a creator/dreamer. He was always focused on the education and the art with a genuine love for music.
My favorite story about Morty was when he decided to write a guitar method. Now Morty had never played the guitar, so he picked one up and taught himself how to play. While studying, he took notes on what was confusing and worked on ways to simplify and make learning more fun. The method was a giant success because Morty lived every experience before he wrote about it. This is the secret of what took Alfred Publishing from a small, unknown publisher to the powerhouse company that it is today.
What I love most about Morty is the fact that he always said what he believed in a straightforward way and his handshake was better than any contract that anyone could ever write.
To my good friend Morty: I will miss you and I look forward to being with you again someday…
-Geoff Lorenz, The Lorenz Corporation
Morty Manus was a pillar of the music publishing industry and beloved by all who enjoyed the great privilege of working for him. He possessed a genius for music pedagogy, as reflected in the highly successful piano, accordion, and guitar educational series (among others) that he developed, published, and sold throughout the world. He was revered by his editors for his ability to comprehend a good idea and to help them develop it into a great idea.
In 1989, Morty hired me to create a church music catalog for Alfred. I’ll never cease to wonder at his confidence in me and I worked hard to be worthy of it. Leading with his wife, Iris, by his side, Morty nurtured and inspired us. I will never forget bringing a “new idea” to the corporate table. I presented the idea and what I considered to be its merits. Other team members expressed the marketing and sales challenges that this idea would face. Because all of us were musicians, it was a pretty passionate exchange! Coming around full circle, we looked at Morty. He smiled and quietly said (I paraphrase), “Yes, well, I think it’s a good idea. We have a great sales and marketing team. Let’s make it work.” And, with Morty for inspiration and guidance, we made it work!
Morty was a great man. I thank God continually for the great gift of having known and worked for him.
-Jean Anne Shafferman, The Lorenz Corporation
Over the years, Morty was always the voice of calm and reason when things were changing in our industry. He understood the value of human relationships in all that we did, and he made good on the promises he made. Our industry is better for the legacy he leaves behind, and I am a better person because I knew Morty Manus.
-Richard Rejino, RPMDA
I’m lucky to have worked with not only such a genius, but someone with the biggest heart that you can imagine, who along with his wife Iris, showed tremendous love for me and my family for so many years. I will miss him greatly, but he will always live on in my heart, especially when I have to make difficult decisions in my life.
-Andrew Surmani, Alfred Music
We all saw the passion Morty had for the music industry. Alfred Music is a glowing testimony to his lifelong achievement of excellence in music education.
-Carol Wilbur, RPMDA
Morty was so much more than the president of Alfred Music. He was a true pioneer, a mentor, and a dear friend. He taught me a lot about the print music business and the significance of what we do every day. I truly learned from the master.
-Alex R. Ordoñez, Alfred Music
