Carol Matz's Favorite Solos, Book 3: Piano Book

This collection reads like a curated recital program rather than a textbook. Each piece brings a distinct character and musical mood, so students encounter blues, Americana, impressionism, and contemporary sounds all within one book, keeping practice fresh and building repertoire fluency across styles. Matz's ear for accessible but musically substantive writing means students never feel patronized; the pieces sound good at the level they're written.

This collection spans moods from contemplative to energetic, grounding each piece in vivid imagery. You'll find yourself in quiet snowfall one moment and marching along the Potomac the next, with jazz-inflected blues and mystical forest scenes in between. The music respects young pianists' maturity while meeting them technically where they are.

Early intermediate to intermediate pianists ready to move beyond generic method book repertoire and play pieces with genuine character. Teachers seeking stylistically diverse solo material that maintains student engagement without overwhelming technique. Recital performers looking for accessible yet musical pieces that showcase personality.

• Explore the tone colors suggested by each piece's title before diving into technical work. 'Morning Snowfall' invites pedal subtlety; 'Rain Forest Rhapsody' asks for richer, more resonant voicing. Let the imagery guide your sound choices.
• In pieces with blues and contemporary idioms, commit to the rhythmic feel rather than metronomic precision. The swing in 'Midnight Blues' and the syncopation in 'Washington's Fife and Drum Corps' need to breathe.
• Balance the narrative quality of pieces like 'A Lincoln Tribute' by shaping phrases musically rather than simply connecting one note to the next. Think of yourself as a storyteller.

Matz's stylistic variety makes this book ideal for building a mixed recital program. Select pieces from different moods and genres to create contrast between performances. The Americana pieces ('A Lincoln Tribute,' 'Washington's Fife and Drum Corps,' 'Along the Potomac') could anchor a patriotic or historical concert, while others suit general student recitals throughout the year.

• Stylistic versatility across blues, classical, impressionistic, and contemporary idioms
• Tone color and pedal control through descriptive, imagery-based writing
• Rhythmic independence in syncopated and jazz-influenced passages
• Phrase shaping and musical storytelling in lyrical sections
• Technical facility in early intermediate to intermediate range without reliance on single-skill repetition