Smart Tones

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!

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!

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

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!

Recordings for the Songs I Love to Play Volume 1 songbook by Jennifer Eklund.

Spotlight Solos features 10 of Jennifer Eklund’s most popular original compositions for late beginners through early intermediates.

Perfect Patterns is a collection of twelve exciting showcase-style solos by Chrissy Ricker. These pattern-based pieces are ideal for early intermediates and cover a wide array of styles.

Chain Reaction is an easy pattern-based 12-bar blues solo in F minor for early intermediates. Music composed by Jennifer Eklund and part of the Spotlight Solos Plus songbook.

Recordings for the Minor Marvels songbook by Jennifer Eklund.

Spotlight Solos Volume 2 features 12 recital-ready fun solos by Jennifer Eklund for students at the late beginning through early-intermediate levels.

Jazzy showcase solo version of When the Saints Go Marching In arranged for late beginners by Jennifer Eklund. This upbeat jazz solo includes MIDI and Mp3 backing tracks for full-time fun for all ages!

Cloudy Day, composed by Rick Robertson is a wistful, elegant solo ideal for late-elementary through early intermediate pianists of all ages.

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

Spotlight Solos PLUS features 10 showcase solos in varying styles and tonal centers. These solos are ideal for late beginners through early intermediates of all ages. This book contains selections for the NFMC Festivals Bulletin, 2020-2024.

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.

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.

Reach for the Stars is a collection of elegant and evocative showcase solos for early intermediates composed by Rick Robertson. These pieces make for excellent recital or festival selections.