Five-Star Solos, Book 4: Piano Book

Name: Five-Star Solos, Book 4: Piano Book
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-44954
Price: 7.99 USD
Availability: InStock

9 Colorful Piano Solos

By Dennis Alexander

Level: Early Intermediate

Item: 00-44954

$7.99

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Book 4 of the Five-Star Solos series provides a wide variety of pieces to teachers and early intermediate-level students. An array of styles, colors, tempos, and moods are included. Ballads, waltzes, Latin pieces, contemporary sounds, and "showstoppers" all combine to make teaching fun and exciting. Students will be rewarded with music that sets them apart from the crowd. Titles: Around Twilight * Ever Evolving * Fleeting Thoughts * In the Groove! * Kick It on Home! * Little Prelude in C Major * Scherzino * Tarantella Veloce * Valse nouveau. A Federation Festivals 2020-2024 selection. A Federation Festivals 2024-2028 selection.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Five-Star Solos, Book 4: Piano Book comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Five-Star

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 24

ISBN10: 1-4706-3189-X

ISBN13: 978-1-4706-3189-5

UPC: 038081514550

SKU: 00-44954

More about this title

About the Composer: Dennis Alexander

Dennis Alexander has shaped educational piano pedagogy for over four decades through his prolific output with Alfred Music Publishing. Since 1986, he has written more than 400 compositions and recordings, establishing himself as one of the most widely performed composers of learning-level piano repertoire worldwide. His career spans decades of teaching experience; he spent 24 years directing piano pedagogy studies at the University of Montana, where he also chaired the piano department, before moving to California to teach at Cal State Fullerton and Cal State Northridge.

Beyond the studio and classroom, Alexander has maintained an active performance career as soloist and collaborative artist, making his Carnegie Recital Hall debut in 1987 and touring internationally to Southeast Asia, the Far East, and across the United States. He has conducted master classes at the national MTNA convention, served as judge for international piano competitions, and received numerous commissions from state music teachers associations and educational organizations. Now based in Albuquerque, he continues composing and conducting clinics while his pedagogical approach to music-making remains a cornerstone of how early intermediate students first encounter diverse musical styles.

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Why we love this

Alexander understands exactly what early intermediate pianists need: pieces that sound far more sophisticated than they are to play, stylistically diverse enough to keep students engaged across a full recital season, and musically substantial enough that students feel genuine pride in their performances. The range here (from lyrical ballads to rhythmically driving grooves to flashy showstoppers) means you can program meaningfully without stretching into unsafe technical territory or boring intermediate students with watered-down classics.

What to expect

This book feels like stepping into a wider world of piano music. The pieces range from the gentle introspection of a prelude to the infectious energy of Latin rhythms and contemporary grooves, with elegant waltzes and virtuosic character pieces woven throughout. Each piece carries a distinct personality and musical identity, rewarding careful listening and thoughtful practice.

Who it's for

Early intermediate piano students preparing for recitals or festival performance will find pieces that challenge them musically without overwhelming their technical reach. Teachers seeking a single source for diverse, engaging repertoire at this level will appreciate the stylistic range and the fact that every piece has real musical substance, making these ideal selections for students who are ready to move beyond beginner collections but not yet prepared for more technically demanding intermediate repertoire.

How to get the most out of it

Listen to how the Latin pieces (In the Groove!, Kick It on Home!, Tarantella Veloce) demand rhythmic precision and consistency; lock your tempo before adding interpretive touches, then let the groove breathe naturally.
Shape the ballads (Around Twilight, Fleeting Thoughts) by mapping the emotional arc first, then finding the pedal work that supports that arc without muddying the texture.
Trust the compositional details in the waltzes and contemporary pieces; Alexander writes these pieces so that attention to dynamic marking and articulation automatically creates style and character without overplaying.
Build stamina in the more rhythmically active pieces by practicing shorter sections at performance tempo rather than running them full-speed; endurance in early intermediate hands develops through smart repetition, not grinding.

How to use it

Build a recital entirely from this collection to showcase how much stylistic ground early intermediate students can cover, or select individual pieces to complement other pedagogical repertoire. The Federation Festivals selections (2020-2024 and 2024-2028) make these natural choices for competition prep, and the mix of moods means you can program an emotionally cohesive concert that never feels monotonous.

Skills your students will build

Interpreting and executing varied articulation across multiple musical styles
Maintaining rhythmic precision in Latin and contemporary groove-based pieces
Managing pedal color and texture in ballads and lyrical writing
Performing characteristic dances (waltzes, tarantella) with stylistic awareness
Building technical confidence through accessible but musically sophisticated showpieces