Backyard Bash

This combo deal includes both volumes of Backyard Bash featuring easy, engaging solos with music and lyrics by Sarah Reaser O’Brien. These volumes are ideal for beginners and late beginners.

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!

Under the ‘C’ is an engaging collection of bass clef rote pieces that are approachable for all learners, with titles and lyrics inspired by the deep sea and its creatures. These pattern-based pieces are well-suited for developing technique, establishing an inner pulse, and supporting on-staff reading while building skill and confidence. Music and lesson plans by Kris Skaletski with teacher duets composed by Jennifer Eklund. Super Soundtrack includes orchestrated backing tracks and teacher duet parts with and without the student part.

Easy Cool Cats, is a collection of twelve easy showcase solos composed by Chrissy Ricker. These jazzy solos represent a variety of genres and will appeal to late beginners and early intermediates of all ages!

Songs I Love to Play Volume 1 features fun and motivating solos for late beginners of all ages. Recital-ready arrangements of popular themes and original compositions by Piano Pronto author Jennifer Eklund.

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!

First Perfect Patterns, features thirteen easy showcase solos, in a variety of styles, for beginners, composed by Chrissy Ricker. Each piece is preceded by a preparatory exercise that encourages students to analyze and recognize the patterns in the music.

Ready for more pizazz for your beginning level students? Pronto Pizazz Volume 2 features 14 easy solos that explore a variety of genres and tonal centers and all include contemporary teacher duet parts. These engaging showcase style solos help to solidify reading skills, proper phrasing technique, and will surely be a hit at your next recital!

Got tech-obsessed students in your studio? Smart Tones is a tantalizing set of ten showcase solos composed by Sarah Reaser O’Brien. These tech-themed pieces are ideal for late beginners and up!

“A” is for Ant is a jazzy, minor-key primer level solo, from Roadtrip: Rockstar Rally, and includes a teacher duet part. Music and lyrics by Jennifer Eklund and Kris Skaletski.

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

Top Cat Boogie, composed by Chrissy Ricker, is a fast 1950s rock-style solo for late beginners. This piece is part of the Easy Cool Cats songbook.

Broken arm? No problem! Stage Left Volume 2 features 18 engaging left-handed solos with contemporary teacher duets included. This volume is also great for beginners who need more practice with bass clef reading and independent left hand dexterity work. This book contains selections for the NFMC Festivals Bulletin, 2020-2024.

Blue Jay Blues is an easy bluesy solo for beginners composed by Sarah Reaser O’Brien that includes lyrics. This piece serves as a great introduction to 12-bar blues, easy position shifts, and swing-style eighth notes.

Sheep, Sheep, Sheep is a sassy, minor-key primer level solo, from Roadtrip: Rockstar Rally, and includes a teacher duet part. Music and lyrics by Jennifer Eklund and Kris Skaletski.

What could be nicer than a cat nap on a lazy afternoon? This laid-back jazz piece by Chrissy Ricker is sure to be a hit with early intermediates of all ages!

Get in the Game is a fun and engaging showcase piece composed by Kris Skaletski. This flexible piece can be used as a piano solo, duet, or trio and is part of the Are You Game? songbook.

Couch Potato is an easy jazzy solo for late-beginners that is part of Jennifer Eklund’s Pronto Pizazz Volume 2 collection. This short study focuses on swing-style eight notes with accidentals, and includes a jazzy teacher accompaniment.