About This Website
ComposerCoins.com was created in December 2013 by
R. Kevin Paul,
after he discovered World Coins featuring composers. Since then,
Kevin has been searching/researching high and low for
information about every single coin. A major website
cosmetic/style update was performed, and several coins where
added/updated, in April 2020.
Although this website is a one-man show, Kevin receives updates
and suggestions from
several friends that help keep him up-to-date with new issues.
Many thanks to Alan Glasser, Pabitra S., and
Hans-Christian S.
This website is hosted on an Apache Linux server in the U.S.,
and utilizes HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Server Side
Includes (SSI), Javascript (JS), and Magic. The design is a
modified version of the "BlandOdyssey" template from
www.coolwebtemplates.net.
As of January 10, 2015, the website has received 10,000 visits
from 103 countries.
As of January 7, 2017, the website has received 12,100 visits
from 114 countries.
As of January 6, 2020, the website has received 14,704 visits
from 117 countries.
As of May 13, 2020, the website has received 16,598 visits from
120 countries.
You can view the complete
timeline here.
R. KEVIN PAUL
R. Kevin Paul, a Virginia native born in 1971, earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Education from Radford University in 1993 where he conducted several university ensembles and performed as a trumpeter in most, including a nominated undergraduate honors recital.
He earned Virginia Commonwealth University's first Master of Music degree in Conducting Performance in 1996 - where he served as Director of the University Band and Pep Band, graduate teaching assistant for the Wind Ensemble, and interim graduate teaching assistant for the Choral Arts Society. He also served as principal trumpet of the VCU Symphony & Opera Orchestras.
Kevin served the Richmond Community as a member of several brass quintets, Principal Trumpet of the Richmond Philharmonic, Assistant Principal Trumpet of the Richmond Symphonic Winds, and trumpeter with the Petersburg Symphony and other chamber ensembles. He founded the Richmond Brass Consort, Richmond’s only large brass & percussion ensemble, and was its Conductor/Music Director until he left Richmond in 2000.
After four years as a VA middle school Director of Bands, Mr. Paul was the Conductors Guild’s Executive Director from 2000 until his departure in 2006 to become a full-time dad. While at the Conductors Guild, he transitioned its publications to electronic formats, expanded the website, and maintained consistently-balanced bugets. He oversaw all member services and events for 2000+ members and communicated with a 30-member volunteer Board and 20-member Advisory Council.
Since 1989, Kevin Paul has been teaching music to students at all levels, from elementary to graduate school, both publicly and privately (20 years+). In addition to maintaining a private trumpet studio, he was the trumpet instructor for the RU Community Arts School and the VCU Community School for the Performing Arts. He has served as a middle school Band Director in the Virginia Public Schools; and part-time member of the music faculties of SweetBriar College (Va) and Lynchburg College (Va) where he was Trumpet Instructor and Director of the Brass Ensemble. He has conducted several high school and middle school bands and has adjudicated many festivals, competitions, and entrance auditions.
He has composed works for Brass Quintet, Brass Ensemble, and Concert Band; and has arranged over 120 works for Brass Quintet and Brass Ensemble. Two of his works for brass quintet were featured on a program at Radford University's "New Horizons" concert in October 2010. His most recent collaboration is Appalachian Hymnsong (brass quintet), a new commission by da Capo Brass (NC), premiered by the same group in March 2011 and being included on their debut album by Delos. His March of the Chinchillas (young concert band) is published by Grand Mesa Music (2011), and was performed at the 2011 MidWest Clinic by the Farmington Jr. High Sumphonic Band (Utah). March of the Chinchillas is also featured in the new publication Teaching Music Through Performance in Middle School Band (GIA Publications). Kevin is a member of ASCAP and recipient of its 2012 Plus award.
Kevin Paul lives in Lynchburg, Va with his wife, Kathleen and sons, Noah & Tyler.
More at www.rkevinpaul.com.
ALAN M. GLASSER
Alan M. Glasser was born in Rochester, NY in 1950 and at age seven, moved with his family to Miami, Florida. His interest in foreign coins began soon after and his goal was to collect one coin from every country. Using allowance and babysitting proceeds when he got a bit older, Alan was devoted to this mission for about 6 years and amassed a large collection including many coins from obscure or obsolete nations. Alan's focus shifted to early U.S. type coins in his teen years and he still enjoys this aspect of collecting to this day.
Alan's Bachelor’s Degree from Florida State University is in Music Theory and History, along with Composition and Piano. His musical focus was in composition for the piano and he was labeled “The Anachronism” at the University for his works in traditional styles of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. It was during his undergraduate studies that he developed his interest in collecting “Composer Coins”. After attaining his Master’s Degree in Child Growth and Development and Music Education, also from Florida State University, Alan and his wife decided to “see the world” and found employment in 2 schools in Southern Peru for 4 years and afterwards with the International School in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia) for 2 years before returning to the U.S. While overseas, Alan again branched out in his collecting interests; this time collecting coins and currency from Peru and Bolivia and then to the different countries that made up Yugoslavia before unification under President Tito. As far as “composer coin” collecting, there were a few opportunities to acquire a few new pieces while overseas, especially in trips to Austria.
At the passing of President Tito in May of 1980, Alan and his wife were invited to the airport near Belgrade, Yugoslavia to shake hands with President Jimmy Carter who arrived for the memorial services. A treasured moment is when President Carter took Alan’s then 2 year old son Matthew in his arms and the photo of this event represents a special moment in his family history.
In each of the 3 overseas schools, Alan taught Music and Elementary Education and in his travels in total, Alan and his wife visited over 40 countries. The family returned to the United States in 1981 and now they reside in Massachusetts. Alan accepted a position at a Massachusetts High School teaching Child Growth and Development, Spanish, and Music History, Theory and Piano. He developed and implemented the components of the varied Music programs as well the academic curriculum for the Child Growth and Development Program. These were 24 very busy and most enjoyable years. In 2006 at age 56, he was advised to retire from public school teaching by his medical team after a Kidney Transplant resulting from the genetic condition, Polycystic Kidney Disease (He refers to it as “the family heirloom”.) His native kidneys were removed in 2014 because of the PKD. Today, Alan continues private piano instruction and during this aspect of his career, he has taught over 300 students since he began in 1975. Alan currently performs at the piano at various community functions, actively composes piano music, collects music-related coins from around the world and does volunteer work to fill the days and to remain productive.
For the past 8 years or so, Composer Coin Collecting has been his major focus and as the budget permits, he adds to his collection and enjoys acquiring new issues and searching out those not yet discovered. Contributing to The Complete Guide to Collecting Composer Coins, as well as working with R. Kevin Paul, is a work of love which has enhanced his enjoyment of the hobby even further.