Jim Timmens Jim Timmens ( born James Francis Timmens ; 1920 - 1980 ) was a music arranger , conductor , and composer who was a key contributor to " Sesame Street " records for over a decade . As musical director of the children ' s division of Columbia Records , Timmens , like his colleague Arthur Shimkin , was involved from the start . On 1970 ' s " The Sesame Street Book & Record " and several other early titles , Timmens was sound editor , especially when soundtrack material from the show was used . He was also credited for " studio control , " or essentially supervising the recording sessions ( and by 1975 , he was billed specifically as director of recording ) . He stayed on when Sesame Street Records formed , and apart from the " Sesame " records , he edited the 1974 " Electric Company " album . On the 1977 album " Aren ' t You Glad You ' re You ? " , Timmens was the musical director ( a title he ' d retain on several subsequent albums ) and shared the Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children with producer Christopher Cerf . On " Big Bird Leads the Band " , Timmens composed , conducted , and arranged all of the songs , including original tracks like " Four Fun " as well as arranging traditional children ' s tunes such as " Frere Jacques " for a full orchestra . Although he received producer credit on a few singles , Timmens now held the title on several albums , including " The Sesame Street Fairy Tale Album " ( also directing the music and arranging " Attila the Hen " and others ) , " Sleepytime Bird " ( again songwriting and arranging ) , " Bob Sings ! " , " Sesame Street Story Time " , and " At Home with Ernie and Bert " . By 1979 , Timmens work was finally heard on the show itself , when he co - wrote the song " Zig Zag Dance . " For his final major contribution , " Big Bird ' s Birdtime Stories " in 1980 , Timmens produced and wrote the script . Jim Timmens died in 1980 , but his name occasionally cropped up on later albums , such as " " ( 1981 ) , for his editing work . Early in his musical career , Timmens studied with the German composer Stefan Wolpe . He joined the Sauter - Finegan Orchestra in 1952 , playing percussion ( which he would return to on select " Sesame " albums ) . Within a few years , he was doing arrangements for the group , as well as for the NBC radio series " Bandstand " ( 1956 - 1957 ) and " The Steve Allen Show " on television . Between 1959 and 1960 , for Warner Bros . Records , Timmens made four " Revisited " albums , tackling Gilbert & Sullivan , " Show Boat " , " Porgy & Bess " , and spirituals ( " Hallelujah ! Spirituals in Stereo " ) . The records presented jazz arrangements of the familiar songs , and the band included Doc Severinsen , Al Klink , and Mel Davis . By 1959 , Timmens had shifted to children ' s records , working for Golden . The first took advantage of his jazz background , " A Child ' s Introduction to Jazz " ( 1959 ) , with Bob Keeshan narrating . More " Child ' s Introduction " titles followed , including " A Child ' s Introduction to Outer Space " ( 1959 ) . Timmens replaced Mitch Miller as Golden ' s musical director around 1961 , working on albums featuring Popeye , Beetle Bailey , Krazy Kat , Woody Woodpecker , and many Hanna - Barbera characters , including " Pebbles ' Lullaby " for " The Flintstones " . He composed and conducted music for Danny Kaye on a 1962 " Grimm ' s Fairy Tales " album and , the same year , conducted and arranged A . A . Milne ' s Winnie the Pooh songs . Concurrent with his recording work , Timmens was the primary composer for Terrytoons from 1964 until 1971 , working particularly on the Astronut , Sad Cat , and James Hound animated shorts . He also spent a stint working for the Radio City Music Hall . When Golden founder Arthur Shimkin moved to Columbia Records in 1967 , Timmens followed , serving as musical director of the Columbia Children ' s Book and Record Library , writing and arranging songs and score for " Cinderella " , The Bible , " Oliver Twist " , " Don Quixote " , and " Pinocchio " . Even after his " Sesame " tenure began , Timmens continued to work on other albums on occasion , serving as mixing consultant on the 1972 Mister Rogers album " Come On and Wake Up " and scored a series of ghost stories for Troll Records in 1973 . External links . _ _ NOWYSIWYG _ _