Carol Matz's Favorite Solos, Book 1: Piano Book

Matz writes pieces that feel like discoveries rather than exercises. Each solo in this book has a distinct character and story, which means your students will stay invested from the first page. The variety here prevents recital programs from feeling repetitive and gives every student a piece that speaks to their personality.

Opening this book feels like walking into a world where dinosaurs hide around corners, bears lumber through the neighborhood, and spaceships launch from your living room. The music has humor, adventure, and just enough musical substance to make young players feel like real musicians rather than students following instructions.

This collection serves early elementary and elementary piano students who are building confidence and discovering that different pieces can express different moods. Teachers will find eight ready-made recital pieces that appeal to young performers without condescending to them.

• Explore the imagery in each title before playing. "Chihuahua on a Skateboard" and "The Alien in My Tree House" aren't just whimsical names; they suggest tempo, texture, and attitude that shape your interpretation.
• Listen for rhythmic precision in the faster passages. Matz's writing is clean and clear, which means timing issues become immediately apparent. Slow practice with a metronome pays off quickly.
• Pay attention to the dynamic range within each piece. Even early elementary repertoire benefits from intentional shaping; these solos reward careful attention to forte and piano markings.

Use these pieces across a full recital or spring performance to create variety and maintain audience energy. You can program them alongside more traditional repertoire to show the range of what your students are learning, or build an entire recital around the collection's thematic playfulness.

• Reading notes in treble clef with increasing fluency
• Maintaining steady tempo in varied rhythmic patterns
• Controlling dynamics and musical shaping within accessible ranges
• Playing with rhythmic precision in eighth-note and sixteenth-note figures
• Understanding the connection between title and musical character