Diabolical Dance

Prelude in E Minor, composed by Rick Robertson, is an intermediate level showcase solo in a neo-Baroque style. It is written in the style of Bach’s organ works as transcribed for piano by Ferruccio Busoni, and would make a good program opener for a developing pianist. Its minor key and somber sound also makes it suitable as a Halloween selection.

Pernicious Pumpkin is a whimsically macabre concoction of nursery rhymes by Stacy Fahrion. This eclectic, minor-key gem will be a hit with teens and intermediates of all ages.

A hair-raising, haunting tarantella by Stacy Fahrion with an abundance of crunchy minor 2nds and a slower, nostalgic middle section.

The Chase is a fast piano solo with lots of flashy passage work that sounds much harder than it actually is to play! Music composed by Jennifer Eklund and part of the Spotlight Solos Volume 1 songbook.

Disjointed Waltz, composed by Jenny Walker, is an evocative waltz with a few surprises. It contains some dynamic time and key changes. It has been written with the advanced player in mind, though rubato could be used to make things easier. The changeover to 6/8 works well and the syncopated rhythms are very effective.

Frenzy!, composed by Rick Robertson, is a fast & flashy late intermediate level toccata, with driving rhythms and quartal harmonies. It would make an exciting recital or festival selection.

The Exquisite Melancholy of Everything Left Unuttered is a delicate waltz in E minor composed by Stacy Fahrion. There is an optional cut notated in the score to accommodate students at a lower intermediate level.

These Are Odd Times, by Stacy Fahrion, is a whimsically macabre collection of solos composed in odd meters. Rife with less common meters, shifting time signatures, and intricate contrapuntal textures, this collection provides a rewarding challenge for late-intermediate and advanced pianists.

Hungry for a fast & flashy showcase solo? Stataco Tostada is a cheeky ode to the common mispronunciations we’ve all heard a million times. This early intermediate showcase solo, arranged by Jennifer Eklund, is loosely based on traditional Mexican folk melodies and provides a great opportunity for students to work on articulations and chord inversions.

Tarantellas are always a student favorite, and this spritely one, composed by Lisa Shoemaker, is sure to make your intermediate students shine! This is a great piece to work on quick transitions between open and closed hand positions.

Tarantella is a virtuosic, spellbinding piece for advanced pianists composed by Stacy Fahrion. The time signature is 6/8, although one of the recurring left hand patterns is in 7/8. In the recording, the piano is deliberately detuned, intensifying the dissonances of the double harmonic major scale by lowering the minor 2nd and minor 6th slightly, and raising the major 3rd and major 7th slightly. The percussion sounds are created by placing a tambourine on the bass strings of the piano. Detuning your piano and tossing a tambourine in it is entirely optional, although the composer encourages it.

Little Tarantella, composed by Jenny Walker, mimics the Italian style of folk dance that has an upbeat, triple time tempo accompanied by tambourines. This lively solo is ideal for advancing intermediates of all ages.

Composer Stacy Fahrion interweaves Hickory Dickory Dock and snippets of For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow into this whimsically macabre solo that will delight late intermediates of all ages.

Nice Little Monster is a bluesy piece by Stacy Fahrion about a creature that is tired of being called a little monster. Ideal for intermediates of all ages.

With its catchy rhythmic drive and harmonic twists, Tango Twist, composed by Jenny Walker is a joy to play, a pleasure to listen to and a real showcase piece for adventurous students and teachers alike.

Lullabies for Arachnophobes by Stacy Fahrion is a whimsically macabre collection written in homage of spindly spiders of all shapes and sizes. Rife with quirky rhythms, harmonies, and re-spindled versions of spidery classics, this collection will delight advanced players of all ages.

Three Moods for Piano, composed by Rick Robertson, is an late intermediate level triptych in a percussive twentieth-century style. The outer movements, both crisp and rhythmic (the first in constantly changing meters) flank a short, expressive middle movement. It is very effective in performance, and makes an excellent repertoire choice for a developing pianist.

Waltz for a Six-Legged Octopus by Stacy Fahrion begins whirling gently in 6/8 time, but the real hexapus waltzing starts when the piece shifts to 9/8. This waltz, ideal for intermediates, is for anyone who has ever felt like they’re missing something that everyone else has.