A Splash of Color, Book 3: Piano Book

Alexander understands how to harness color imagery and narrative as teaching tools, giving students a genuine reason to shape their tone and musical choices. These seven solos balance technical challenge with the kind of evocative titles that teenagers actually respond to, turning what could be dry finger work into genuine musical storytelling. The collection respects the late-intermediate player's growing maturity without pretending they've arrived at advanced literature.

Each piece unfolds like a small painting; you're not required to sustain grandeur for long stretches, but rather to explore a single emotional or sonic world with real intention. The writing feels conversational at times, playful in others, and genuinely atmospheric throughout. These are solos that reward both the pianist's technical growth and their developing sense of what 'feeling' means in music.

This collection speaks directly to high school pianists and advanced middle school students ready to move beyond early-intermediate material but still building foundational technique. Teenagers often respond better to music that acknowledges their growing taste and emotional depth, and these seven solos do exactly that. Teachers seeking repertoire that combines solid pedagogy with genuine musical interest will find genuine value here.

• Let the piece titles guide your interpretive choices before looking at the score. What does 'Lemon Zest' sound like in your mind? What does 'Dark Chestnut' need musically? When you play the music, see if Alexander's notes match the imagery you imagined.
• Attend to color and dynamic contrast within each piece rather than treating blocks of texture as uniform. Late-intermediate students often settle for safe middle dynamics; these solos reward bolder choices.
• Notice where Alexander uses repetition strategically. Rather than playing repeated passages identically, use them as opportunities to deepen tone quality or adjust articulation slightly, building interest through subtle variation.
• Work through one or two pieces per week rather than rushing through the book. These solos invite lingering; that slower pace lets the imagery sink in and allows technical refinement to happen naturally.

Program one or two selections alongside more traditional repertoire on a recital or studio performance to show the breadth of contemporary educational writing. These pieces also work well as technical studies that don't feel like studies, making them ideal for students who need rhythmic and textural variety week to week while building proficiency. Scatter them across a spring semester of teaching, allowing each student to claim one or two favorites as their 'recital pieces' for end-of-year performances.

• Tonal control and color variation across different textures
• Reading rhythmic patterns within late-intermediate time signatures and syncopation
• Pedal awareness and selective use rather than indiscriminate application
• Dynamic shape and phrasing across shorter formal structures
• Connecting musical imagery to interpretive decision-making
• Tempo control and rubato appropriate to character pieces