Journeys

Dog Days songbook is a set of intermediate showcase solos by Jennifer Eklund that chronicles a day in the life of her rescue dogs.

Star City Solos is a collection of dynamic character pieces by Sarah Reaser O’Brien, written in homage of her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia. This delightful and varied set will be enjoyed by intermediates of all ages.

Enjoy the Ride is a delightful collection of intermediate solos by Lisa Donovan Lukas featuring a variety of tonal centers and styles. These eleven selections are ideal for intermediates of all ages.

Songs I Love to Play Volume 2 features fun and motivating solos for early intermediates of all ages. Recital ready arrangements of popular themes and original compositions by Piano Pronto author Jennifer Eklund. This book contains selections for the NFMC Festivals Bulletin, 2020-2024.

In the Groove is a fun-filled collection of thirteen showcase solos composed by Lisa Frederick. Ideally suited for early intermediates and beyond, these engaging pieces cover a wide variety of genres including jazz, blues, lyrical, boogie-woogie, and more!

Hold On is a lyrical pop solo ideal for intermediate pianists of any age. Music composed by Jennifer Eklund and part of the Dreamweaver songbook.

Wind Whirls, composed by Rick Robertson, is an early intermediate level showcase solo. Its passages divided between the hands give it a showy effect, with some interesting harmonies.

Recordings for the Songs I Love to Play Volume 2 songbook by Jennifer Eklund.

When You Smile, composed by Rick Robertson, is an intermediate level solo in a lyrical light-pop or jazz style. It is dedicated to jazz singer Dubby Spivak, widow of the American bandleader Charlie Spivak, who is a friend of the composer.

Midnight on the Bayou is a bluesy minor-key solo composed by Chrissy Ricker. This showcase piece, part of the Perfect Patterns PLUS songbook, is suitable for intermediates of all ages and a great exercise in left-hand leaps.

To feed students’ cravings for playing in minor keys, Minor Marvels features twelve showcase-style piano solos, four solos with optional teacher duet parts, and two duets. These selections are ideal for late beginners through early intermediates and will gloomily gleam at a Halloween recital or whenever a minor mood strikes!

Takin’ it Easy, composed by Rick Robertson is an intermediate level showcase solo in a jazz-shuffle style. It is fun to play, fits well under the hands, and will make a splash on any recital program.

The Magical Garden, composed by Sarah Reaser O’Brien, is a flashy lyrical solo for early intermediates and beyond. This piece is part of the Star City Solos songbook.

Backyard Bash, Volume 2, is a collection of solos written for late beginning pianists who enjoy playing music with lyrics. It is the sequel to Backyard Bash and offers just enough additional difficulty to challenge and delight students. These pieces were written about actual creatures which inhabit our Southwest Virginia backyard, and the lyrics are intended to facilitate study of the music while also amusing the performer. I have found that my students love playing these songs because they sound more difficult than they are, and they are fun to sing along with! I hope you enjoy these musical nature studies and learn to play them all!

Boogie Blues is a fun and energetic boogie-woogie style jazz solo by Canadian composer Lisa Frederick. This light-hearted romp is ideal for early intermediates of all ages!

Circle of Friends, by Rick Robertson, is a two-volume collection containing a total of 24 character pieces for piano in each of the major and minor keys (minus enharmonic equivalents), in a manner similar to the Prelude sets by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and the like. The sequence as published is arranged in a rough order of difficulty, allowing for convenience in page turns here and there.

The title alludes as well to the familiar “Circle of Keys’. As for “friends”, each piece is dedicated to a close friend, colleague, or student. A few pieces in Volume One are at the early intermediate level, while Volume Two is solidly at the intermediate level with a steady trajectory of more demanding musical concepts.

Creation Collage is a collection of ten season-themed character pieces by Sara Tomlinson. This book of contemporary, showcase-style works will delight intermediates of all ages.

Paper Airplane by Sara Tomlinson is an expressive and flowing piece at the late intermediate level. Students will find the chromatic scales and left-hand crossovers fun and impressive. Suitable for students for intermediates of all ages.