Morning Sounds

Night Sounds is an easy lyrical solo for beginners composed by Sarah Reaser O’Brien that includes lyrics. This piece serves as a great introduction to ties and easy position shifts.

Cherry Blossoms, composed by Kevin Costley, is an ambient lyrical solo for late beginners. This piece serves as a great opportunity for students to work on shifting fifths in the left hand and melodic phrasing.

Simple Serenity is a collection of fifteen easy lyrical solos composed by Jennifer Eklund. These calming pieces offer a great opportunity for beginners and late beginners to explore lyrical playing, rubato, octave shifts, and pedal work.

Nightscape is an easy, minor-key, lyrical solo for late beginners of all ages. This showcase piece serves as a great introduction to legato and expressive phrasing techniques. Part of the Easy Spotlight Solos songbook. This piece has been selected for the NFMC Festivals Bulletin, 2020-2024.

Groundhog Day is a showcase solo for late beginners that includes lyrics. This piece composed by Sarah Reaser O’Brien is part of the Backyard Bash Volume 2 songbook.

Backyard Bash is a collection of solos written for beginning pianists who enjoy playing music with lyrics. With the exception of three pieces, Crazy Cat, Old Dog, and Tree Swallow, these songs describe actual events that have happened in my suburban backyard in Southwest Virginia. Crazy Cat combines the personalities of two of our family cats, Calhoun and Casper, into one. Old Dog is about our Golden Retriever, Clyde, who lived with us when we started our family and was the kindest and most gentle dog I’ve ever known. Tree Swallow is about a male tree swallow who behaved exactly as described in the lyrics, but in my father’s backyard rather than in mine. 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! - Sarah O’Brien

Japanese Rose, composed by Kevin Costley, is an elegant easy lyrical solo for late beginners of all ages.

Just Passing By, is an easy ambient multi-level solo by Jennifer Eklund for beginners and late beginners of all ages. This piece is part of the Level Up! songbook.

Water Lillies, composed by Kevin Costley, is an easy elegant lyrical solo that will delight late beginners of all ages.

Adrift is a pensive lyrical solo full of unique jazz harmonies, but easy enough for beginners and late-beginners. The sophisticated harmonies, and free-floating rubato form using multiple octaves, will make students of all ages feel successful in the early stages of lessons!

Sunny Day is a delightful, lyrical solo written at three different levels by Robyn Fehrenbacher. Includes two beginner versions with optional teacher duet, as well as a solo version for late beginners of all ages.

Mirror Lake, by Rick Robertson, is a late-elementary level lyrical solo. A moderately slow lyrical melody is divided between the hands and bound together by pedal.

Under Lock & Key is an easy lyrical waltz for late beginners and early intermediates composed by Jennifer Eklund. This piece serves as a great introduction to various types of ending systems, lyrical phrasing, and pedal techniques.

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!

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.

Mrs. Flynn is a lovely contemplative solo for beginners that serves as an excellent introduction to cross-hand playing and steady eighth notes. This piece by Joanne Griffiths is part of her songbook entitled “Meet the Pilburys.”

Sailboats in the Bay is a restful lyrical solo composed by Rick Robertson that is ideal for early intermediates. This piece is part of the Kaleidoscope Volume 1 songbook.

On My Way is an easy lyrical pop-style solo for beginners and late-beginners. Includes two versions allowing students to “level-up” and challenge themselves. Music composed by Jennifer Eklund.