Contest Winners, Book 1: Piano Book

This collection gives you exactly what festival adjudicators want to hear: pieces that sound polished and musical without overwhelming young pianists. Victoria McArthur's practice and performance notes for each solo mean you're not guessing at interpretation or technique, just teaching smarter.

These are pieces that reward careful listening. Each one has character and shape without requiring advanced technique, so students hear themselves making real musical choices rather than just executing mechanics.

Early elementary and elementary pianists preparing for festivals, competitions, or recitals. Teachers searching for repertoire that sounds impressive while staying within reach of developing technique and musicianship.

• Read through McArthur's performance notes before the first lesson; they address the specific musical and technical priorities for each piece so you can shape your teaching immediately.
• Use the graded progression across the book to build confidence; start with pieces that feel accessible and layer in technical demands as your student's comfort grows.
• Record your student playing each piece once they've learned it, then listen together to identify where the music breathes and where tempo or dynamics need adjustment.

Build a recital or festival set by selecting pieces from different sections of the book to show range and growth. The Federation Festivals selection means these align directly with what adjudicators are hearing and evaluating this season.

• Reading and interpreting tempo and dynamic markings from the score
• Building consistent rhythmic accuracy at elementary levels
• Hand position and finger independence across white and black keys
• Listening for phrasing and shaping musical lines expressively
• Managing practice strategies specific to each piece's technical demands