Piano Pedagogy Playlist

Who, or what, is a Catherine Wheel? Chris Caine’s “November” pays tribute to one of the most dramatic fireworks around- and channels Debussy’s “Feux d’artifice” into a piece that captures the same explosive spirit at a more accessible level. We explore the history behind the firework, the British tradition of Guy Fawkes Night, and the particular challenges that make this Trinity Grade 8/RCM level 10 piece rewarding for advanced students. Paired with Christopher Goldston’s “Firestorm”- completed from a three-measure sketch left by his mother, Margaret Goldston- this episode offers two pieces at contrasting levels united by forward momentum and firelit energy. November- Catherine Wheel (from A Year in Twelve Keys) Chris Caine [Advanced] - https://store.trinitycollege.com/collections/a-year-in-twelve-keys-diatonic-studies-for-piano/products/november-catherine-wheel-grade-8-piano-from-a-year-in-twelve-keys-diatonic-studies-for-piano&aff=182 Firestorm Christopher Goldston [Intermediate] - https://www.chrisgoldston.com/product/firestorm/

Major and minor scales are the foundation of Western music- but what happens when you step outside them? On this episode, I explore three pieces by Suzanne Dawson, Stacy Fahrion, and Scott Price, that use modal sounds to create distinctive musical colors. Each selection also offers a particular teaching focus, connecting its musical character with a practical skill students can develop at the piano. One of the pieces is about a tardigrade. 😳 Aeolian Mystery Suzanne Dawson [Intermediate] - https://www.alfred.com/products/aeolian-mystery-00-ps-0017765?shop_sign_in=true Nice Tardigrade Stacy Fahrion [Elementary] - https://pianopronto.com/composers-community/stacy-fahrion/stacy-fahrion-nice-tardigrade/ Deep Green Sea Scott Price [Early Intermediate] - https://tomgeroumusic.com/products/centipede-shoes-digital-edition-1

This week, I’m taking a little three-act adventure at the piano with music from Jason Sifford’s Beware the Jabberwock, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky” from Through the Looking-Glass. I begin in the serene landscape of “In the Wabe,” venture into the woods for “Whiffling Through the Tulgey Wood,” and return home for the joyful celebration of “O Frabjous Day!” Along the way, I play each piece, explore its connection to the poem, and discuss some of the musical details that make this collection rewarding to teach and play- from Alberti bass to alternating arpeggios to chromatic patterns that become easier once students spot how they work. There’s a little storytelling, a little music theory, and just enough Carroll-inspired nonsense to keep things suitably frabjous. All three pieces are current National Federation of Music Clubs Festival Selections and are available individually as digital downloads. In the Wabe (from Beware the Jabberwock) Jason Sifford [Intermediate] - https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/se/ID_No/410394/Product.aspx Whiffling Through the Tulgey Wood (from Beware the Jabberwock) Jason Sifford [Intermediate] - https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/se/ID_No/410392/Product.aspx O Frabjous Day! (from Beware the Jabberwock) Jason Sifford [Intermediate] - https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/se/ID_No/410387/Product.aspx

This week, I continue our journey through Chris Caine’s A Year in Twelve Keys with October- Modulations of Seasons and Time, a calm, expansive piece whose shifting pulse rewards careful counting with a wonderfully natural flow. Then, Wendy Stevens’s Autumn’s Awakening offers an autumn-inspired companion at the early intermediate level. Cascading hand-crossing arpeggios give way to a yearning melody and lush harmonies, creating an expressive sound that feels bigger than its difficulty might suggest. Alongside performances of both pieces, I discuss their teaching possibilities and reflect on how contemporary repertoire gives students room to find their own interpretations, make musical discoveries, and become explorers at the piano. Two pieces at very different levels, each finding something beautiful in the changing seasons. October (from A Year in Twelve Keys) Chris Caine [Advanced] - https://store.trinitycollege.com/discount/AWM824NEUNKM5?redirect=/collections/a-year-in-twelve-keys-diatonic-studies-for-piano/products/a-year-in-twelve-keys-diatonic-studies-for-piano&aff=182 Autumn's Awakening Wendy Stevens [Early Intermediate] - https://composecreate.com/product/autumns-awakening/

This week’s episode is a Halloween episode. Sort of. The three pieces I play don’t involve costumes or trick-or-treating, but they each feel right at home in October- and they’ll still be worth playing in November. Jennifer Eklund’s Dark Waters is a haunting waltz with some satisfying challenges for intermediate students. Ben Crosland’s Mary Had a Scary Lamb takes some familiar childhood sounds to a wonderfully creepy place. And Angeline Bell’s The Spider offers a more graceful look at a creature I usually prefer to admire from a distance. Dark Waters Jennifer Eklund [Intermediate] - https://pianopronto.com/sheet-music/piano-solos/dark-waters/ Mary Had a Scary Lamb (from Easy Beans) Ben Crosland [Late Elementary] - https://www.musica-ferrum.com/books/easy-beans-single-license/ The Spider (from My Quirky Notebook) Angeline Bell [Late Intermediate] - https://www.musica-ferrum.com/books/my-quirky-notebook/