Contempos Series, Book 1: Piano Book

Each piece is a small window into a different compositional world. You'll encounter the hypnotic repetition of ostinatos, the open sonorities of modal and pentatonic writing, the unexpected clashes of polytonal harmony, and the architectural precision of 12-tone organization. These aren't "pieces about" contemporary music; they are contemporary music, written for hands at this level.

Elementary and intermediate pianists ready to hear beyond traditional tonality. Students in this collection will encounter musical worlds that sound and feel different from repertoire they've already learned, building their ear for modern sound worlds while their technique is still developing.

• Isolate ostinato patterns separately before layering them with melodic material; this clarifies the independence of voices and helps students hear how contemporary composers build texture through repetition.
• Experiment with pedal sparingly in pieces using whole tone or pentatonic scales; the harmonic resonance these scales create often needs space to breathe without blurring.
• When approaching 12-tone techniques, write out the row at the top of the page so students understand the organizational logic rather than viewing it as random note selection.
• In syncopated passages, practice with a metronome emphasizing the beat that feels least natural; this inverts the common habit and locks the syncopation into muscle memory.

Build a "Contemporary Voices" recital featuring selections from this book alongside early 20th century classics (Kabalevsky, Bartók easier pieces) to show students the lineage of modern piano writing. Alternatively, use individual pieces throughout the year to punctuate more traditional repertoire, introducing one contemporary concept per month during lessons.

• Recognizing and performing ostinato patterns while layering independent material on top
• Reading and playing modal scales (major and minor modes) in various transpositions
• Understanding polytonal writing and managing simultaneous competing key centers
• Navigating whole tone and pentatonic scale collections by ear and sight
• Interpreting 12-tone compositional technique and serial organization
• Executing syncopated rhythms in contemporary contexts
• Adapting traditional technique to non-traditional harmonic language