Helen Marlais

So far, I've only seen 3 of the 12 books in this collection, but I like them quite a bit. This one is for late intermediate students, and is a wonderful collection of literature from a variety of composers. There are two equal-part duets, a Christmas arrangement, 2 showpiece solos, 2 lyrical solos, and a classical theme solo (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring). Demands on the player include triplets and sixteenth notes, mixed meters, scales in tenths, glissandos, melody and accomp. within the same hand, and simple ornaments. The pieces are quite varied and artistic - there are a couple of Spanish-style pieces as well as one with some dissonance. The author helpfully provides a note about the inspiration for the piece - a pink and orange sky at sunrise seen on a walk by the North Sea in Reykjavik, Iceland. The visual image of contrasting pinks and oranges will help the student come to terms with the dissonances in the piece, which is serene in spite of the harmony. The book includes a CD and several pages that address preparation for a performance, including a bull's eye game for practicing small sections.… (altro)

This book (with CD included) makes a great supplement to basic method books and provides useful material for study and performance. There are some wonderful pages that help students prepare for performances including a checklist of skills and a chart for checking off your progress, starting at 4 weeks prior to the performance. The Table of Contents is not just a list of pieces and page numbers, but actually a chart that shows the recital category (lyrical piece, equal-parts duet, classical theme, etc.) and the CD track number. As a supplemental book, it is great for following the student through the year since it has a Halloween piece, a Christmas piece, and a patriotic piece. Composers/arrangers include: Elizabeth Greenleaf, Christopher Goldston, Timothy Brown, Helen Marlais, Edwin McLean, Mary Leaf, Melody Bober, and Kevin Olson. Unlike many other similar books, this one is truly appropriate for a 1st year student who is reading on the staff with 5-finger pieces like Ode to Joy all the way to slightly more difficult pieces that require hand shifts.… (altro)