Belwin Contest Winners, Book 2: Piano Book

This book opens with colorful, imaginative scenes. You'll play robotic marches and galloping horses alongside quieter moments of clouds and lagoons. The writing is direct and musical without requiring advanced technique; each piece invites the student to tell a story at the keyboard and keeps the ear engaged throughout.

Piano students at the elementary and late elementary levels who are ready for original compositions that challenge them meaningfully without overwhelming their technical grasp. Teachers seeking recital-ready material that connects to festival and competition standards will find this collection both reliable and motivating for the studio.

• Listen to the character of each piece's title before you begin learning it. 'Blinky the Robot' and 'The Frisky Filly' demand different physical and tonal approaches at the keyboard.
• Work tempo gradually upward rather than performing at printed tempo immediately. These solos reward clarity and control over speed.
• Use the approximate difficulty ordering to build a recital program that gains momentum; open with an earlier piece to establish confidence before moving to late elementary repertoire.
• Pay attention to the harmonic movement in pieces like 'Quiet Lagoon' and 'Night Clouds.' These pieces teach functional harmony through listening and playing, not just theory worksheets.

Draw from this collection throughout the year for student recitals, keeping the variety of moods and titles in mind when planning concert flow. Several pieces work especially well as opening or closing numbers for group recitals, while others pair naturally for students performing multiple selections in a single program.

• Reading and interpreting character indications embedded in descriptive titles
• Controlling tempo and dynamics across original compositions at elementary level
• Building harmonic awareness through melodic and accompanimental patterns
• Developing performance confidence with pieces designed for festival and contest contexts
• Sustaining musical focus across varied forms and textures