Stacy Fahrion

A Mostly Minor Christmas, is a quirky late intermediate collection by Stacy Fahrion that contains some familiar carols arranged in unfamiliar ways, such as Deck the Halls, in 7/8, and Mambo All the Way, a minor-key mambo version of Jingle Bells. There are a couple of jazzy tunes with silly lyrics, including Gloomy Old St. Nick, and O Spider Tree. Finally, there are several soaring lyrical carols in mostly minor keys. The only piece in this collection that’s in a major key is a subtly reharmonized version of Silent Night.

This is an arrangement of ’Twas in the Moon of Wintertime, which is based on the melody from the traditional 16th century French folk song, Une Jeune Pucelle. This whimsically melancholy melody is arranged by Stacy Fahrion for intermediates.

Gloomy Old Saint Nick is a jazzy ditty about how it’s okay not to be jolly all the time, even during the holidays. Music arranged by Stacy Fahrion.

A whimsically macabre rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas arranged for intermediates by Stacy Fahrion.

Hey, Ho, Nobody Home is a traditional English carol usually sung as a three-part round. This arrangement by Stacy Fahrion begins with the round, then transitions into a spirited, danceable variation. This selection is ideal for intermediates.

Mambo All the Way is saucy spin on Jingle Bells arranged by Stacy Fahrion. This showcase solo, ideal for intermediates, will spice up any holiday performance!

Spice up your holiday season with this upbeat Latin-style duet of Jingle Bells arranged for intermediates by Stacy Fahrion.

Patapan is Stacy Fahrion’s showcase arrangement of the classic French Christmas carol. In the original lyrics, “turerurelu, patapatapan” mimic the sound of the flute and drum. This version gradually builds to a heavily syncopated finale.

Fum, Fum, Fum, presented in a fiery, flashy style for intermediates by Stacy Fahrion. This showcase solo will light up your next recital or holiday party!

Los Peces en el Rio is a peaceful Spanish Christmas carol. This intermediate arrangement by Stacy Fahrion begins with gentle syncopation, then the pianist plays the melody in the left hand with a beautiful countermelody in the right hand.

A jazzy, minor, and dissonant “derangement” of O Christmas Tree by Stacy Fahrion. This piece is a perfect showcase solo for intermediates who want to play something a little quirky during the holiday season!

Deck the Halls in 7/8 is a lively, minor key, odd meter twist on the traditional Welsh carol, arranged by Stacy Fahrion. This selection is ideal for intermediates.

Deck the Halls (for Two) is an upbeat minor-key duet in 7/8 time for intermediates arranged by Stacy Fahrion.

Silent Night arranged in a serene lyrical style for late intermediates by Stacy Fahrion.

Stars in the Sky invites pianists on a shimmering journey through a magical winter landscape, where each note glimmers like starlight on a cold, clear night. This piece in A minor features a delicate three-against-two rhythm, perfect for developing rhythmic independence while creating an ethereal soundscape. Ideal for winter-themed recitals or any occasion where you want to capture the beauty of the night sky, this piece by Stacy Fahrion invites intermediate pianists to explore rhythm and expression in a way that feels as timeless as the stars themselves. The title is a mnemonic phrase for the composite three against two rhythm.

This book presents strategies for learning to play polyrhythms, from the most common ones, such as two against three, up through four against five. It contains rhythm exercises, improvisation suggestions, and thirteen pieces based on polyrhythms. Once you’ve worked with the book, you might develop intense cravings for more polyrhythms, and may even be inspired to compose polyrhythmic pieces of your own.

Stacy Fahrion wrote Nice Tardigrade so that beginner pianists can enjoy playing polyrhythms and playing in Dorian mode. “Nice tardigrade” is a mnemonic phrase like “hot cup of tea” or “not difficult” that may help pianists remember the sound of a three against two polyrhythm. Tardigrades are resilient microscopic creatures that look like tiny bears. They have existed on Earth for about 600 million years.

This gentle, ambient piece will help ease pianists into playing in 5/4 time signature. It features broken fifths in the left hand that only happen on black keys, with a repeating chord progression of I-vi-ii-V in Gb major. The right hand stays in the same hand position throughout, other than leaping up or down by an octave.

Distant Bells is an elegant polyrhythmic etude for early intermediates composed by Stacy Fahrion. This piece serves as an excellent introduction to playing two against three between the hands.

A Spell for Focus, composed by Stacy Fahrion, is in 7/4, and is inspired by Raag Jog from Indian classical music. Pianists can count “1 2 3 4 1 2 3” throughout to help them stay focused. In bars 5-8 and 13-16, pianists are encouraged to improvise using the suggested rhythm and the notes C, E, F, G, and B-flat.

A Spell to Find Balance, composed by Stacy Fahrion, is an intermediate piece in A minor designed to ease pianists into improvising. The left-hand part is a two-bar ostinato, and keeping with the theme of balance, all of the right-hand rhythms are palindromic, the same forwards as they are backwards over two bars. The structure of the piece is also mirror-like.

A meditative ambient solo and improvisation exercise for early intermediates by Stacy Fahrion that will set a relaxed and creative tone before, during, or after lessons.

Mountain Rainstorm depicts a storm that rushes in quickly and then gracefully recedes into the mountainscape as swiftly as it arrived, something that happens frequently in the afternoons in the Rocky Mountains. This lively post-minimal piece features broken octaves in the left hand that only happen on black keys. It begins in E-flat Dorian and ends in G-flat major. The time signature regularly alternates between two measures of 6/8 with two measures of 7/8, but the composite rhythm between the hands is simply steady eighth notes.

This mysterious-sounding intermediate-level etude by Stacy Fahrion is ideal for introducing quarter-note triplets to students, and also is a wonderful recital piece. It eases students into playing 2 against 3 and 3 against 2 polyrhythms, and through playing it, students will learn how eighth-note triplets and quarter-note triplets relate. It begins in G Dorian and ends in D minor. Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the sun, but isn’t visible to the eye alone.