Dan Coates, With You in Mind: 8 Original Piano Solos for Today's Pianist: Piano Book & Online Audio

Coates understands what late intermediate and advanced pianists want to play: music that sounds sophisticated and feels rewarding without demanding conservatory-level technique. This collection delivers genuine stylistic variety (classical, jazz, contemporary), so students encounter real compositional voices rather than generic etudes. The included recording of Coates performing his own work gives pianists an authentic interpretive model.

This collection spans moods with surprising range. Sunrise clarity meets introspective nostalgia, jazz swagger shares pages with classical wit, and there's genuine lyricism woven throughout. Each piece stands alone as a complete musical statement rather than a study.

Late intermediate and advanced pianists seeking original compositions that feel contemporary and diverse without sacrificing musical substance. This collection works equally well for private studio students preparing for recitals, pianists looking to expand beyond classical transcriptions, or ensemble pianists wanting solo material that reflects their growing sophistication.

• Listen to the recording multiple times before learning the score. Notice Coates' tempo choices, his use of rubato in the lyrical pieces, and how he shapes phrases across the longer solos.
• In the jazz-inflected pieces, observe where Coates uses swing feel versus straight eighth notes. This distinction shapes the character significantly.
• Pay attention to dynamic range. These pieces reward subtle gradations from pianissimo to forte rather than playing in the middle.
• Balance countermelodies with your primary melodic line, especially in the more contrapuntal pieces like Classical Folly.

Select individual pieces for student recitals based on the performer's strengths and interests (a jazz-focused pianist might claim Jazz in 3, while a lyricist will gravitate toward Autumn Etude or Wind-up Lullaby). The eight pieces also work as a programmed set for a solo concert, offering programming that balances styles and moods naturally.

• Stylistic awareness across classical, jazz, and contemporary idioms
• Interpretation from a recorded model without printed interpretive markings
• Pedal control in sustained and impressionistic passages
• Rhythmic flexibility and swing feel
• Dynamic shaping and phrase architecture in original compositions
• Left-hand independence and countermelodic playing