Rick Robertson

Fall Colors, by Rick Robertson, is an intermediate level lyrical solo. It is a neo-romantic piece with a main theme that has an arabesque character. The melody is “hidden” in the figuration. The brief middle section is more traditional in texture and leads to a slightly varied reprise of the opening. This piece is also suitable for service playing, and is an excellent choice for an expressive player.

Autumn Song, composed by Rick Robertson, is an easy lyrical solo in five-finger position for beginners. This piece is part of the Spectrum songbook.

Creepy Crawly Icky Things by Rick Robertson is an early intermediate level showcase solo. This piece is especially useful as a “spooky” or “creepy” solo for Halloween recitals, but it could be used in any other non-seasonal program. The “crawly” figures divided between the hand feature chromatic passage and unfamiliar note patterns.

Scary Movie, by Rick Robertson is an early intermediate level showcase solo, inspired by the beloved “Ballade” by Burgmüller. In addition to being an excellent seasonal Halloween selection, it will help the young player develop technical skills, all wrapped up in less than a minute of fun!

Wind Whirls, composed by Rick Robertson, is an early intermediate level showcase solo. Its passages divided between the hands give it a showy effect, with some interesting harmonies.

Spooky Ooky! composed by Rick Robertson is an intermediate level showcase solo. Its staccato, jaunty rhythms, and sudden dynamic shifts make it an excellent spooky Halloween solo.

Seasons Change, composed by Rick Robertson, is an intermediate level lyrical solo. It is a study in melodic shaping, chord balance, and arpeggio accompaniment, and will appeal to pianists of all ages.

Yeti or Not, Here I Come!, by Rick Robertson, is a late elementary level showcase solo. This piece is especially useful as a “spooky” or “scary” solo for Halloween recitals (it depicts a game of “Hide and Seek” with Bigfoot), but it could be used in any other non-seasonal program.

A Mystery Story, by Rick Robertson, is an easy minor-key solo that is part of the Spectrum Volume 1 songbook. This showcase solo, is well-suited for late beginners of all ages and also makes for a great recital pick around Halloween.

Something’s In the Basement! by Rick Robertson is an early-intermediate level showcase solo. Its spooky bass melody and varied touches make it an ideal Halloween solo.

Black Cat Boogie, composed by Rick Robertson, is an early-intermediate jazzy showcase solo in a Boogie-Woogie style. It is very effective in performance, and should be a hit on any recital program. It is purposefully written in G-flat major, and uses black-key pentatonic melodies.

Toccata Rag by Rick Robertson is an intermediate level ragtime showcase solo. It is based on J.S. Bach’s famous Toccata in D Minor for organ. This has the potential to “bring down the house” on a recital program, and could also serve as a light-hearted addition to a Halloween program, or even an “encore”.

Linguine Tarantella, by Rick Robertson, is an intermediate level showcase solo. Written in the style of the Neapolitan Tarantella, its exciting dynamic changes and a cascade of flying octaves at the end will make this a showstopper for recital or festival.

Who doesn’t love gummy bears? Gummy Bear Shuffle, composed by Rick Robertson, is an intermediate level solo in a playful shuffle style. Its bouncy rhythms make it fun to listen to and play. It also could be used as a “non-scary” Halloween piece, or for any performance occasion.

What could possibly be more fun than playing “Gummy Bear Shuffle”? Playing it with a friend! This one begged to be arranged for piano duet, and here it is. Its bouncy rhythms make it fun to listen to, and to play as well. It also could be used as a “non-scary” Halloween piece, or for any performance occasion.

Into the Night, composed by Rick Robertson, is an intermediate level ambient solo that would be suitable for the Halloween season for students looking for a mature selection. This piece is part of the Souvenirs songbook.

Nebula, composed by Rick Robertson, is an intermediate level solo in a contemporary style, built entirely on the whole-tone scale on C. It gives the performer ample opportunity to explore different sonorities while working on touch and balance.

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.

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.

Lyric Moments is a collection of thirteen lyrical pieces, composed by Rick Robertson, in different styles to give the performer experience in melodic shaping, tone color, and touch. Styles represented include Romantic lyricism, lush Impressionistic harmony, and even light jazz.

Kaleidoscope Volume 2 is an evocative collection of lyrical showcase solos composed by Rick Robertson. These elegant solos will allow advancing early intermediates to work on musicality and expressive playing via works that are stage-ready and appropriate for all age groups.

Circle of Friends, by Rick Robertson, is a two-volume collection containing a total of 24 character pieces for piano in each of the major and minor keys (minus enharmonic equivalents), in a manner similar to the Prelude sets by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and the like. The sequence as published is arranged in a rough order of difficulty, allowing for convenience in page turns here and there.

The title alludes as well to the familiar “Circle of Keys’. As for “friends”, each piece is dedicated to a close friend, colleague, or student. A few pieces in Volume One are at the early intermediate level, while Volume Two is solidly at the intermediate level with a steady trajectory of more demanding musical concepts.

Circle of Friends, by Rick Robertson, is a two-volume collection containing a total of 24 character pieces for piano in each of the major and minor keys (minus enharmonic equivalents), in a manner similar to the Prelude sets by Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and the like. The sequence as published is arranged in a rough order of difficulty, allowing for convenience in page turns here and there.

The title alludes as well to the familiar “Circle of Keys’. As for “friends”, each piece is dedicated to a close friend, colleague, or student. A few pieces in Volume One are at the early intermediate level, while Volume Two is solidly at the intermediate level with a steady trajectory of more demanding musical concepts.

In his third installment of the Kaleidoscope series, composer Rick Robertson spins a web of evocative, elegant harmonies encapsulated within thirteen spectacular solos for advancing intermediates. This book contains selections for the NFMC Festivals Bulletin, 2020-2024.