In Recital with Popular Christmas Music Book 2

The In Recital with Popular Christmas Music series continues with book 2.  This book also has a great variety of popular Christmas pieces.  There are the student favorites, like Jingle Bells, and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, as well as traditional carols like Away in A Manger, and O Come All Ye Faithful.  There are also some not-as-familiar songs like Snoopy's Christmas and There is No Christmas Like A Home Christmas.

The songs included in this book are:
Christmas Bells are Ringing
Jingle Bells
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Good Christian Men, Rejoice
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Away in a Manger
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Snoopy's Christmas
The Most Wonderful Day of the Year
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
There is No Christmas Like a Home Christmas

Concepts include:
In addition to basic notes, their corresponding rests are also included
Students play tied notes, legato and staccato articulations, accents, upbeats, blocked intervals, and five-finger hand positions
Students experience movement up and down the keyboard with 8va signs, and use of pedal to create a big sound.
Reinforces basic musical terminology and symbols such as crescendo, decrescendo, poco ritardando, fermata, forte, mezzo forte, mezzo piano, piano, and first and second endings.
Basic Keys - C, G, F written using accidentals instead of key signatures

This book includes a cd, so students can hear a performance of each piece in this book.

The book/CD combo can be found at Sheet Music Plus for $6.95

In Recital with Popular Christmas Music Book 1

This FJH series begins with a whimsical snowman and includes some great Christmas pieces.  In book 1, you find Early Elementary versions of several Christmas songs, including some favorite carols.  Though these are "popular" songs, I appreciate the variety including songs by Johnny Marks, Spirituals such as Go Tell It on the Mountain and Sweet Little Jesus Boy, as well as Rudolph, Over the River, and Santa Claus is Comin' to Town that everyone knows.  Most of my students had at least one song they weren't familiar with, which is a great teaching time, so that when they are grown, they will know as many Christmas songs as I do!  (Pretty sure I know wayyyy too many traditional Christmas songs due to piano lessons.)

The concepts covered in this book are:
Basic notes: quarter, half, dotted half, and whole
3/4 and 4/4 time signatures
Legato and staccato
Limited hands together playing
Musical terminology such as: forte, piano, mezzo forte, mezzo piano, fermata, repeat signs, and tied notes
Basic Keys - C, G, and F (written using accidentals, not key signatures)

Song titles:
Good King Wenceslas
Go, Tell it on the Mountain
Sweet Little Jesus Boy
Christmas is Coming
Do You Hear What I Hear?
A Merry Merry Christmas to You
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays
He Is Born (Il est ne)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Over the River and Through the Woods
Ding Dong! Merrily on High
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Many of these pieces have an optional accompaniment duet.  These duets are musical and help fill out the performance of the piece, but they are not necessary.  This book also comes with a CD so the students can hear a performance of each piece.


Available from Sheet Music Plus for $6.95.

Happy New Year! Merry Christmas, Every Day of Your Life!

Welcome to 2014!

This year I have some great plans for the blog.  In order for it not to take over my life, I'm planning to have one weekly post about a book and then a few posts monthly regarding theory, technique, or other resources for teaching.

In 2014 I am also jumping into a holiday theme.  This year you'll find a (hopefully) weekly post about a book of piano music celebrating Christmas, American Patriotic Holidays, and Halloween.

Enjoy!

Once Upon A Rainbow 3

This Intermediate to Late Intermediate collection beautifully completes Nancy Faber's colorful series Once Upon A Rainbow.  In addition to many colorful techniques including extended crescendos and diminuendos, subito piano, ruboto, two-hand gestures, and artistic pedaling, you will find pieces from different genres as well.  There is a waltz, rag, and rhapsody, just to name a few.

Musical concepts:
range of dynamics
accelerando, accent, Allegro, Andante, a tempo, calando, cantabile, con moto, espressivo, fermata, loco, Moderato, molto, ottava (8va), pedal change, phrase, poco, poco a poco, rag, rhapsody, ritardando, rubato, sforzando, slur, sonorously, staccato, subito, Valse.


Unlike the previous books in the series, there are no composing projects in the book. Only one song in this collection includes words, and none include duets.

The pieces are beautiful, challenging, and several pages long.  However, all are well done and would be good recital pieces or just for fun.

Song titles:
Rainbow Splendor
To Have a Rainbow
Shimmering Waterfalls
Valse Indigo
Crystalline Rag
Amber Rhapsody

You can find this at Sheet Music Plus for $4.50

Once Upon A Rainbow 2

Once Upon a Rainbow book 2 continues the lovely 3 book series. It is a collection of "Colorful solos which develop musical expression and creativity at the piano."

 I find the variety of songs in these books to be wonderful.  There is something that is appealing to almost every student.  There are gentle, beautiful pieces like "Walk in a Rainbow" and "I Love a Rainbow" as well as quicker pieces like "Rainbow In My Pocket" and "Rainbow Ice Cream" which is quite bouncy.   "Purple Rainbow Swirls" offers students a chance to play a song with only their left hand, using plenty of crossovers and pedal.

In addition to the songs, each song has a "Creating at the Piano" section that challenges the students to compose or create.  There is an optional composing project at the end and a music dictionary.

Concepts in this book:
pp, p, mp, mf, f
crescendo, Diminuendo,
accent, a tempo, fermata, glissando, interval, legato, loco, natural, pedal marking, pedal change, phrase, poco, ritardando, slur, staccato, subito, 8va, 15 ma.

Song titles: (videos where I could find them.  Mostly the slower songs were chosen for recitals, so you'll just have to try out how fun the quicker songs are for yourself.)
Walk in a Rainbow
I Love a Rainbow
Rainbow in My Pocket
Purple Rainbow Swirls (for LH only)
Rainbow Ice Cream
Rainbow Dreams

Most of these songs include catchy words.  Several will be stuck in your head, or at least able to be called up at a moment's notice!  None of these colorful pieces includes a teacher duet, because it is not needed.

You can find this book at Sheet Music Plus for $4.50.

Grand Melody 6

Melody Bober Concludes her Grand Solos for Piano Series with a sixth book containing 9 pieces for Late Intermediate Pianists.

This music is composed with variety in mind: styles, keys, time signatures, and other challenges change from piece to piece.

Pieces in this book include:
006 Blues - video includes Jazz 'n' Java, as well as a string bass accompaniment.  They have added an introduction to each song.  From what I can tell, the actual piano part has not been changed (other than the added introduction.)
Dragonfly
Evening Snowfall - Sorry about the background noise, but this is the only video I found.  It should at least give you an idea of the melody.
Flight of the Monarch
Flying Leaves
Jazz 'n' Java - see video above.  This songs starts near the 1:45 mark
The Keepsake - once again, sorry for the voices in the background.
Sweet Memories
Valse Dramatico

As expected in late intermediate literature, there are many challenges, including pedaling, numerous keys, accidentals, finger changes, hand movement, etc.

You can look inside this book at Sheet Music Plus.  It is available for purchase for $7.95

Recitals, Take 5

They did it again!  This Intermediate book continues in the same vein as the previous In Recital Throughout the Year Volume 2 books.  The fifth book in this series holds up well the high standards set by its predecessors.  Each book includes performance strategies and tips for recitals.  In the beginning, there are Recital Preparation Tips for the Teacher, and throughout there are tips for the students.  Each book takes an age-appropriate look at encouragement and preparation for recitals.

This book has fewer pieces that are specific, for instance, there is no designated Halloween or patriotic piece included like the previous books.

Concepts reinforced in this book are:

• Triplet and sixteenth-note patterns, as well as dotted eighth-sixteenth patterns and syncopation.
• One and two octave scales and blocked octaves
• Rubato
• Chords and inversions are reinforced
• Students play two voices within the same hand
• Simple ornamentation is used
• New terms: cantabile, largamente, molto agitato, and others introduced in books 1-4.
• Mixture of major and minor keys.

Titles include: (YouTube videos where I could find them are linked)

Canto de Estio (Song of Summer), lyrical solo by Martin Cuellar

Dance Masquerade, showpiece solo by Timothy Brown

Distant Dream, Equal Part Duet by David Karp

The Barber of Seville Overture, Classical theme equal part duet arranged by Timothy Brown

We Wish You a Jazzy Christmas, Christmas solo arranged by Edwin McLean

Presto, Showpiece Solo by Valerie Roth Roubos

Serenade, Lyrical Solo by Melody Bober

Miniature Overture from the Nutcracker Suite, Op 71a, Classical Theme Solo arranged by Kevin Olson

You can find this book at Sheet Music Plus  for $7.95.  This is well worth the price, as it includes a CD.