Guiding Light

This is a lyrical piano ballad in waltz time for intermediate pianists by Sarah Reaser O’Brien, NCTM. The melody is made almost entirely of ascending and descending pentascales (5-note scales) on white keys. The accompaniment for left hand requires a hand span primarily of melodic octaves with an occasional melodic tenth. The ternary form features a middle section with surprising harmonies and a deceptive cadence. Middle and high school students will find this piece both accessible and rewarding.

Keepin’ It Light is an energetic pop-style solo composed by Lisa Donovan Lukas that will be enjoyed by intermediates of all ages. This piece is part of the Enjoy the Ride songbook.

Winter Reverie is a haunting, minor key, contemporary lyrical piano solo for intermediates that is part of the New Horizons songbook. Music by Jennifer Eklund.

Mystery and uncertainty are just around the corner with this minor key solo by Ryan Chesser. This piece is great for teaching artistic expression and balance between hands. Your moody teenage students will love this expressive showcase solo!

Reflections is an uplifting contemporary lyrical solo for intermediates that is also part of the New Horizons Songbook. Music by Jennifer Eklund.

Love Is the Journey, is an uplifting lyrical solo composed by Lisa Donovan Lukas for intermediates. This pop-style solo includes lyrics and chord symbols providing a great opportunity for students to practice accompanying themselves as they sing along. This piece is part of the Sky Castles songbook.

Vanished is a haunting, minor key, contemporary lyrical piano solo for intermediates. Music by Jennifer Eklund and part of the New Horizons songbook.

New Horizons is an uplifting contemporary lyrical solo for intermediates that is also part of the New Horizons Songbook. Music by Jennifer Eklund.

By the Frozen Mill Pond by Gary Johnston is a wistful piano solo for early intermediates of all ages. This elegant, introspective melody, conjures up images of a frosty day on a frozen pond.

Dreamweaver is an uplifting contemporary lyrical solo that will be a hit with intermediates of all ages. Music by Jennifer Eklund. This piece has been selected for the NFMC Festivals Bulletin, 2020-2024.

Brand New Day is a collection of twelve elegant intermediate and late-intermediate contemporary solos by Ryan Chesser. This go-to songbook will appeal to both amateur and professional pianists with works that will suit a variety of occasions and settings.

Sailing is an uplifting contemporary lyrical solo for intermediates that is also part of the New Horizons Songbook. Music by Jennifer Eklund.

Guilty as Charged is a light-hearted pop solo ideal for early intermediate pianists of any age. Music composed by Jennifer Eklund and part of the Spotlight Solos Volume 2 songbook.

Journey’s End is a contemplative contemporary lyrical solo for intermediates that is also part of the New Horizons Songbook. Music by Jennifer Eklund.

No Worries is an uplifting lyrical solo composed by Lisa Donovan Lukas that will delight intermediates of all ages. This piece is part of the Journeys songbook.

For many people, November is a month for giving thanks. This intermediate piece by Sarah Reaser O’Brien, NCTM, is a contemporary rendering of a hymn-like melody. November symbolizes a musical token of gratitude for family and friends who have been with us through good times and bad and with whom we love to spend our time. The ternary form offers an uplifting first section followed by a middle theme of more serious and reflective implication. The middle theme modulates into a return of the first in a new key, representing a triumphant overcoming of life’s struggles with the help of those we hold dear.

January is a high-energy showcase solo with an uplifting principle theme, dramatic middle section, and flashy ending. This is one of a set of 12 month-titled pieces by Sarah Reaser O’Brien, NCTM.

Fading into Twilight is a mysterious, minor key, contemporary lyrical solo that will be a hit with intermediates of all ages. Part of the Dreamweaver songbook. This piece has been selected for the NFMC Festivals Bulletin, 2020-2024.