After Hours for Solo Piano, Book 1: Piano Book

Wedgwood refuses the false choice between "music students learn from" and "music students want to play." These 15 pieces deliver genuine mood and character, from the introspective "In the Gardens of Giverney" to the swing-inflected "Come Dance with Me", while staying grounded in what Late Elementary and Intermediate hands can actually execute. The harmonic language feels modern and evocative without requiring avant-garde techniques, making this an ideal collection for students discovering that piano music exists far beyond classical etudes.

Imagine sitting at a piano on a quiet evening with no agenda except to play something that matches your mood. One moment you're in a dimly lit jazz lounge ("Pastimes"), the next you're gazing out a rainy window ("The Window Seat"), then you're dancing to a gypsy waltz. The textures are lush without being precious, the melodies memorable without being obvious, and the overall effect is deeply restorative.

Late Elementary through early Intermediate pianists ready to move beyond pedagogical collections into music that reflects actual listening tastes. Students who play pop, jazz, or contemporary music alongside their classical studies will especially connect with the harmonic idiom and stylistic variety here.

• Treat the harmonic colors as the primary voice. Wedgwood's progressions do most of the storytelling, so resist the urge to rush through chord changes. Let each one land cleanly.
• Pay attention to the dynamic landscape within individual pieces. Many of these work through quiet introspection rather than obvious structural landmarks, so subtle dynamic shaping prevents the music from sounding flat.
• Experiment with tempo flexibility in the ballads. These pieces benefit from slight rubato, especially on pieces like "My Valentine" and "Remember When," where the emotional weight justifies a more conversational approach to the written tempo.
• Use the jazz-influenced pieces as an entry point to swing feel and shuffle rhythms. Pieces like "The Gypsy King" and "Cae De Paris" offer low-stakes practice in grooves that feel natural once the basic concept clicks.

This collection works beautifully as material for solo recitals, particularly for students looking to program something more personal than standard method books. It also serves as supplementary repertoire throughout the year, picking individual pieces that match the season or a student's emotional landscape can sustain motivation during stretches when technical work feels abstract. Teachers can also use selections as encore pieces or as palate cleansers in student recitals.

• Voice leading across jazz-inflected chord progressions
• Pedal control in pieces emphasizing harmonic color over rapid note movement
• Recognizing and executing swing rhythms and shuffle feels
• Reading and interpreting dynamic nuance within extended passages of similar harmonic material
• Translating mood and atmosphere from written markings into actual sound
• Playing melody with independence from accompaniment texture