I want all my students, regardless of age, to play art music—music that is highly appealing and that challenges them to grow as musicians. Such material can be in any style and at any level of advancement as long as it is imaginative and poetic. These are the standards I aspire to when composing.
Volumes 1 & 2,
previously on the Federation List!
A short piano piece in the Romantic style of a Venetian boat song, such as those by Mendelssohn. The creation of this work has an interesting story. Several years ago, I sat down at the piano to test out a new mike I had just purchased for my audio recorder. I started playing just to make some sound. Without trying to or meaning to, I ended up improvising a complete piece—nonstop! Since I had previously done a doctoral project on Venetian boat songs (which included playing through virtually every piano barcarolle known to mankind), my subconscious knew the characteristics and flavor of the genre. I'm normally just a passable improviser, but when I transcribed this improvisation from the recording to make it playable for others, only three small changes needed to be made!
You can obtain this piece from your local music dealer or from Hal Leonard Publishing Corp. When on their website, click on "Closer Look" to see a score excerpt and to hear a performance of the piece.
Dedicated to David Kaiserman. Also, many thanks to pianist and teacher Anne Olson for coaxing me into transcribing my improvisation.
An "impromptu" that doesn't just sound improvised—it was!
More current publications to be listed here soon . . .