Federation Popular Solos

Teachers keep coming back to Museum Masterpieces, Book B by Catherine Rollin and Especially in Jazzy Style, Book 1 by Dennis Alexander. Dan Coates' Kids Rule! serves younger pianists with big note arrangements, while Jazz Menagerie Books 1 and 2 by Rollin give late elementary and early intermediate students genuine jazz exposure without overwhelming technical demands.

Catherine Rollin combines an active performing career with teaching students who win competitions. Her work appears throughout this collection because her pedagogical instincts align with what students at these levels can actually play and enjoy, from Museum Masterpieces through the Jazz Menagerie series.

Dennis Alexander built an international reputation as one of the most prolific composers of educational piano music after beginning his work with Alfred Music in 1986. His Especially in Jazzy Style series demonstrates his ability to write idiomatically in jazz contexts while respecting the technical ceiling of early intermediate players.

Dan Coates has spent nearly five decades arranging popular music for piano, working with composers and artists like John Williams and Elton John. His arrangements preserve the character of the original while scaling difficulty appropriately, which is why Kids Rule! works so well for students just beginning to read music.