Piano Pedagogy Playlist

Join me as I dive into Little Peppers — a lively and imaginative collection by Australian composer Elissa Milne. I'm playing six short pieces from the collection that may be written for early intermediate students, but are full of rhythmic sophistication, contrasting moods, and vivid character. From jazzy mischief in Shenanigans to the emotional contrasts of Lost and Found, and finally the drive of Deadline leading to the calm of Twilight, each piece shows how much expressive storytelling can fit into a single page of music.

Little Peppers - Digital Download Hard Copy

Shenanigans - Digital Download

Convertible - Digital Download

Lost - Digital Download

Found - Digital Download

Deadline - Digital Download

Twilight - Digital Download

The Navajo composer Connor Chee and his Three Navajo Preludes are the subject of this week's episode. Blending traditional Diné (Navajo) melodies with the expressive language of the Western piano, Chee’s music bridges cultures and traditions — transforming ancient chants into thoughtful, modern piano works.

We'll reflect on how Chee’s use of the perfect fourth, his chant-like phrasing, and his spiritual symbolism connect listeners to the natural world — between earth and sky.

"Three Navajo Preludes" - ⬇️ Digital Download

Featuring solos for late elementary level students (including adults!) from the collection, "Daily Comforts, volume 1" by Wynn-Anne Rossi.

Fresh Falling Leaves - Digital Download or Printed Copy

Long, Slow Walk - Digital Download or Printed Copy

Mystery Book - Digital Download or Printed Copy

Chicken Noodle Soup - Digital Download or Printed Copy

This week is all about beginners. I’m featuring student/teacher duets written for the earliest levels of beginning students. But these aren’t your typical uninspiring duets for beginners. Through Giulio Pietropaolo’s Melodic Explorations, we discover that beginning-level piano music can be expressive, engaging, and artistically satisfying for both student and teacher.

Featuring duets for beginning level students and their teacher or another advanced student. From the collection, “Melodic Explorations 1“, by Giulio Pietropaolo.

Don’t Give Up – Digital Download

Growing Up – Digital Download

Sad Story – Digital Download

Waiting For It – Digital Download

This week, we celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival by exploring the music of An-Lun Huang and his groundbreaking collection A Chinese Festival. Four evocative pieces weave together East and West, tradition and innovation, all under the soft glow of the harvest moon.

Featuring selections from the collection A Chinese Festival, by An-Lun Huang.

Pastures - Digital Download

An Old Castle - Digital Download

Mountain - Digital Download

Streams of Yang River - Digital Download

Cats take center stage this week as I play three feline focused pieces for late-elementary through intermediate level piano students. The composers are Lisa Donovan Lukas, Chrissy Ricker, and Scaredy Cat. Mischief, swing, and spooky fun— with a little improv mixed in as well. Perfect repertoire picks for October.

Black Cat Capers, by Lisa Donovan Lukas - Digital Download

Cool Cat Boogie, by Chrissy Ricker Digital Download

Scaredy Cat, by Jennifer Eklund (solo piano version) Digital Download

Spiders may make me squirm, but they sure spin some great music. In this week’s episode, I swat my fears aside to share four creepy-crawly piano pieces by Chris Goldston, Jocelyn Kotchie, and Stacy Fahrion. From tarantellas to tangly webs, these works are spooky, clever, and perfect for your students to sink their fangs into this fall.

The Spider's Masquerade, Christopher Goldston - Digital Download

Spiderweb Salsa, Jocelyn Kotchie - Digital Download

Tomb Spiders, Jocelyn Kotchie - Digital Download

Long Legged Spinners, Stacy Fahrion - Digital Download

Fall is in the air, and this week’s episode is all about piano music that captures the colors and moods of the season. I’m featuring three pieces by Canadian composer Rebekah Maxner, whose music is a favorite among piano students and teachers alike. You’ll hear the calm reflection of “Autumn Afternoon,” the simple beauty of “Orange Sunset,” and the jazzy mischief of “Midnight Mind Game.” It’s a short, cozy celebration of autumn through the piano.

Autumn Afternoon by Rebekah Maxner

Orange Sunset by Rebekah Maxner

Midnight Mind Game by Rebekah Maxner

This week on the Piano Pedagogy Playlist, I dive into Cool Beans by English composer Ben Crosland — a fresh, pop-inspired collection of 12 graded pieces for early to late intermediate pianists. After years of hearing good things about this collection, I finally bought the digital download of Book One, sat down at the piano, and couldn’t stop playing — I immediately went through the whole book twice!

Cool Beans, Volume 1 - by Ben Crosland

The "Celebration Series" of repertoire books published by the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto have been a longtime favorite source of mine for discovering new pieces by living composers. Updated every seven years, I always find fresh pieces that eventually become old favorites. This week, I highlight three options for intermediate students from the level four, five, and six books- Peter Rudzik’s whimsical Happy Grasshopper, Nkeiru Okoye’s beautifully atmospheric Dusk, and the energetic Running for the Bus by Alexina Louie.

Truly Astounding Animals, by Paul Rudzik

African Sketches, by Nkeiru Okoye

Small Beautiful Things: For Piano, by Alexina Louie

Celebration Series (Sixth Edition) Repertoire 4

Celebration Series (Sixth Edition) Repertoire 5

Celebration Series (Sixth Edition) Repertoire 6

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. This helps keep our podcast alive. Thank you!