Composers Showcase, Book 2: Early Intermediate/Intermediate Piano Book

This collection gives you seven distinct compositional voices at a single level, so you can match repertoire to individual student personalities and strengths rather than reaching for the same generic early intermediate piece for every recital. The variety means you're not mining one composer's catalog or settling for overly familiar territory. Students see real composers with different approaches to form, harmony, and mood all in one book.

A varied sampler of contemporary piano writing, moving between evocative landscapes, quirky character pieces, and rhythmic explorations. The seven selections give students genuine choices in mood and texture, from nocturnal reflection to mechanical curiosity to wide-open spaces.

Early intermediate and intermediate pianists building a recital program or searching for fresh repertoire beyond the standard teaching literature. Teachers will appreciate having multiple short pieces at the same level for students at different stages of musical maturity or with different stylistic interests.

• Listen to how each piece establishes its character in the opening measures, then shape your tone and touch to match that first impression rather than imposing uniform dynamics across the collection.
• Map out the structural turning points in each piece before performance (key changes, shifts in register, rhythmic pivots) so transitions feel intentional rather than accidental.
• Treat the descriptive titles as compositional clues: let the imagery of 'Mojave Moon' or 'Ghost Town' inform your phrasing and color choices rather than playing the notes literally.

Select one or two pieces for spring recitals when students need a range of options at the intermediate level, or use the collection to build themed programs around storytelling and imagery. The shorter pieces work well as opening or closing numbers alongside longer classical or romantic works.

• Reading varied harmonic language and contemporary chord progressions
• Translating descriptive titles into interpretive choices and tonal color
• Building interpretive consistency across a collection of contrasting forms
• Balancing rhythmic accuracy with musical shaping in contemporary idioms