Piano Pedagogy Playlist

This week, I’m taking a little three-act adventure at the piano with music from Jason Sifford’s Beware the Jabberwock, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky” from Through the Looking-Glass.

I begin in the serene landscape of “In the Wabe,” venture into the woods for “Whiffling Through the Tulgey Wood,” and return home for the joyful celebration of “O Frabjous Day!” Along the way, I play each piece, explore its connection to the poem, and discuss some of the musical details that make this collection rewarding to teach and play- from Alberti bass to alternating arpeggios to chromatic patterns that become easier once students spot how they work.

There’s a little storytelling, a little music theory, and just enough Carroll-inspired nonsense to keep things suitably frabjous.

All three pieces are current National Federation of Music Clubs Festival Selections and are available individually as digital downloads.

In the Wabe (from Beware the Jabberwock) Jason Sifford [Intermediate] - https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/se/ID_No/410394/Product.aspx

Whiffling Through the Tulgey Wood (from Beware the Jabberwock) Jason Sifford [Intermediate] - https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/se/ID_No/410392/Product.aspx

O Frabjous Day! (from Beware the Jabberwock) Jason Sifford [Intermediate] - https://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/se/ID_No/410387/Product.aspx

This week, I continue our journey through Chris Caine’s A Year in Twelve Keys with October- Modulations of Seasons and Time, a calm, expansive piece whose shifting pulse rewards careful counting with a wonderfully natural flow.

Then, Wendy Stevens’s Autumn’s Awakening offers an autumn-inspired companion at the early intermediate level. Cascading hand-crossing arpeggios give way to a yearning melody and lush harmonies, creating an expressive sound that feels bigger than its difficulty might suggest.

Alongside performances of both pieces, I discuss their teaching possibilities and reflect on how contemporary repertoire gives students room to find their own interpretations, make musical discoveries, and become explorers at the piano.

Two pieces at very different levels, each finding something beautiful in the changing seasons.

October (from A Year in Twelve Keys) Chris Caine [Advanced] - https://store.trinitycollege.com/discount/AWM824NEUNKM5?redirect=/collections/a-year-in-twelve-keys-diatonic-studies-for-piano/products/a-year-in-twelve-keys-diatonic-studies-for-piano&aff=182

Autumn's Awakening Wendy Stevens [Early Intermediate] - https://composecreate.com/product/autumns-awakening/

This week’s episode is a Halloween episode. Sort of. The three pieces I play don’t involve costumes or trick-or-treating, but they each feel right at home in October- and they’ll still be worth playing in November.

Jennifer Eklund’s Dark Waters is a haunting waltz with some satisfying challenges for intermediate students. Ben Crosland’s Mary Had a Scary Lamb takes some familiar childhood sounds to a wonderfully creepy place. And Angeline Bell’s The Spider offers a more graceful look at a creature I usually prefer to admire from a distance.

Dark Waters Jennifer Eklund [Intermediate] - https://pianopronto.com/sheet-music/piano-solos/dark-waters/

Mary Had a Scary Lamb (from Easy Beans) Ben Crosland [Late Elementary] - https://www.musica-ferrum.com/books/easy-beans-single-license/

The Spider (from My Quirky Notebook) Angeline Bell [Late Intermediate] - https://www.musica-ferrum.com/books/my-quirky-notebook/

You can sense when a child’s enthusiasm and interest is beginning to wane. It could be for a variety of reasons, some of which we have no control over. But finding just the right repertoire for a student, that has the highest chance of making them eager to keep reaching for that next step- that is something we can influence.

Sometimes, a student just needs a quick and easy win.

In this episode, I’m sharing three engaging pieces for elementary through intermediate level pianists that offer a satisfying, achievable result while still sounding impressive and sophisticated. Each selection is packed with quickly-learned patterns, personality, and enough musical impact to help students feel proud of what they have accomplished.

Featured music includes Jennifer Linn’s Hummingbird, Anne Crosby Gaudet’s The Waterfall, and Daniel McFarlane’s Exosphere.

Whether a student needs a change of pace, a confidence boost, or simply a piece that feels great to play, these are pieces worth keeping in your quick-win toolbox.

Hummingbird Jennifer Lin [Late Elementary] - https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/hummingbird-p373460?aff=108

The Waterfall Anne Crosby Gaudet [Early Intermediate] - https://musicdiscoveries.shop/products/the-waterfall

Exosphere Daniel McFarlane [Intermediate] - https://www.supersonicspiano.com/shop/exosphere/

Want to hear a more advanced depiction of a hummingbird?

Check out this episode on the music of Seymour Bernstein.

https://pianopedagogyplaylist.com/podcast/ep-39-the-quiet-legacy-of-seymour-bernstein/

A school day in five piano miniatures: a beautiful September morning, a little studying, some blues on the playground, one kid who’s much too cool- and a daydream about the summer just past.

I perform five selections from Ben Crosland’s Easy Beans and consider what makes this varied collection so appealing to young pianists.

They are fairly short, accessible pieces, but each bears Crosland’s unmistakable mark of creativity and for giving young pianists something with genuine character to play.

Beautiful Morning (from Easy Beans) Ben Crosland [Early Intermediate] - https://www.musica-ferrum.com/books/easy-beans-single-license/

A Little Study (from Easy Beans) Ben Crosland [Elementary] - https://www.musica-ferrum.com/books/easy-beans-single-license/

Playground Blues (from Easy Beans) Ben Crosland [Late Elementary] - https://www.musica-ferrum.com/books/easy-beans-single-license/

2 Kool 4 Skool (from Easy Beans) Ben Crosland [Early Intermediate] - https://www.musica-ferrum.com/books/easy-beans-single-license/

A Dream Of Summer (from Easy Beans) Ben Crosland [Early Intermediate] - https://www.musica-ferrum.com/books/easy-beans-single-license/

Music becomes meaningful when it helps us explore something human.

For younger students, the challenge of learning something new might be enough to maintain interest. But eventually they need to figure out that music making is about more than getting it right, more than just doing it correctly.

In this episode, I play two pieces that might help students connect the dots between how we make music and why. "Tristesse" by Chris Caine from his collection "A Year in Twelve Keys", and then the "Sad Prelude" by Hans-Günter Heumann.

Tristesse (from A Year In Twelve Keys) Chris Caine [Advanced] - https://store.trinitycollege.com/discount/AWM824NEUNKM5?redirect=/collections/a-year-in-twelve-keys-diatonic-studies-for-piano/products/a-year-in-twelve-keys-diatonic-studies-for-piano&aff=182

Sad Prelude Hans-Günter Heumann [Early Intermediate] - https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/sad-prelude-p493098?aff=108

When one of your students encounters a piece titled “Toccata” for the first time, how do you explain what that means?

I think a lot of us describe a toccata as a quick, running of our fingers over the keys, kind of like checking out what’s under the hood- seeing what kind of horsepower we’ve got under there.

But toccatas aren’t just about taking your instrument for a musical test-drive.

In this week’s podcast, I’m playing three contemporary toccatas that have virtuosic elements, but at their root are all about the expressive possibilities of touch, and the unique ways that keyboard instruments can transform physical gestures into color and character.

Emerald Toccata Kathleen Massoud [Early Intermediate] - https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/emerald-toccata-p470191?aff=108

Toccatina Timothy Brown [Late Intermediate] - https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/toccatina-p470430?aff=108

Toccata Martin Cuéllar [Late Intermediate] - https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/toccata-p470440?aff=108

This week, I return to the music of Italian composer Giulio Pietropaolo with three selections from his collection "Dreaming": "Up and Down", "Lost", and "Quiet". Each piece begins with self-imposed constraints- a familiar chord progression, a repeating ostinato, or two quietly alternating chords. But they find their own kind of freedom within those boundaries.

Together, these pieces remind us that musical constraints don’t have to restrict the imagination. Sometimes, they give it exactly the place it needs to begin.

Up and Down (from Dreaming, book 1) Giulio PIetropaolo [Early Intermediate] - https://shop.pianosafari.com/collections/giulio-pietropaolo

Lost (from Dreaming, book 1) Giulio PIetropaolo [Intermediate] - https://shop.pianosafari.com/collections/giulio-pietropaolo

Quiet (from Dreaming, book 1) Giulio PIetropaolo [Intermediate] - https://shop.pianosafari.com/collections/giulio-pietropaolo

This week, I present music of Amy Ferguson, a pianist, teacher, composer, and arranger whose self-published pieces grow from the practical needs of her own studio. Ferguson recently received wider recognition when her piece Relámpago won the 2026 Pianist magazine composing competition.

I perform two contrasting solos: Moonlit Cactus, with its cool-jazz harmonies, two-handed syncopation, and opportunities for creative pedaling and sound exploration; and Migration, a peaceful C Mixolydian depiction of birds in flight.

I’ll also give some observations on recording as a tool for honest musical evaluation, and using easier repertoire to help students develop good sight-reading habits.

Moonlit Cactus Amy Ferguson [Intermediate] - https://www.amyfergusonstudio.com/store/p24/Moonlit_Cactus.html

Migration Amy Ferguson [Late Elementary] - https://www.amyfergusonstudio.com/store/p50/Migration.html

Getting something right once is not the same thing as making it a habit. In this episode, I explore how fundamental skills become musical reflexes through two pieces by Dennis Alexander: Gentle Breezes and Sweet Jasmine.

First, getting students to listen for the balance between a singing left-hand melody and understated right-hand chords in Gentle Breezes (early intermediate). Then, in the simpler Sweet Jasmine (Late Elementary), hear how subtle phrasing gives even elementary music direction and meaning. Along the way, I reflect on the struggle of remaining patient while holding firm to musical expectations and how the simplest, ordinary habits lead to extraordinary playing.

Gentle Breezes (from Especially in Romantic Style, book 1)

Dennis Alexander [level early_intermediate] - https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/especially-in-romantic-style-book-1-p469177?aff=108

Sweet Jasmine (from Especially in Romantic Style, book 1)

Dennis Alexander [level late_elementary] - https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/especially-in-romantic-style-book-1-p469177?aff=108