 As a composer, Burnett is the 1995 5-Star Award of Merit Winner of the National Federation of Music Clubs for his original composition and arrangement for big band titled, Daedalus.Daedalus was initially recorded by the award-winning Engineer Center Jazz Ensemble and published on the highly acclaimed compact disc recording by the 399th US Army Band, titled "Essayons" – which was also the first-ever CD recording released in that particular military band's history.A modern thinker and early explorer of the digital music landscape, Burnett garnered more than a half million music downloads and sold CDs to fans in 38 countries via MP3.com (1999–2003) before most musicians had figured out that there were other ways than major record label contracts and brick-and-mortar retail stores to reach listeners.