Lions and Friends: Piano Book

Goldston understood what early elementary students actually want to play. Rather than generic five-finger exercises disguised as pieces, she crafted solos with genuine character and a unifying theme that captures imagination. The optional teacher duets transform practice from solitary work into genuine music-making, while the illustrations and animal facts give context that young pianists remember and share with their families.

Opening this book feels like stepping into an African savanna filtered through the lens of a skilled teacher's imagination. Each piece sparkles with character and humor without abandoning musical substance; melodies sing, rhythms stay clear, and the animal subject matter makes the whole collection feel like an adventure rather than a workbook.

First-year piano students working through Alfred's Basic Piano Course Levels 1A and 1B will find these solos perfectly aligned with their technical development. Teachers seeking repertoire that delights students rather than drilling basics will recognize how Goldston balances musical interest with appropriate difficulty.

• Balance the melody line clearly; these pieces ask beginning students to shape a musical phrase rather than simply execute notes, so encourage singing through the fingers.
• Use the teacher duet to establish a steady tempo and provide harmonic context that helps students hear their part as part of something larger.
• Let the animal illustrations inform phrasing and character; a lion's entrance looks different than a bird's flight, and students hear that difference in the music.

Assign individual solos throughout the year as students master new technical concepts, using the animal themes to build a student recital around a journey through Africa. Alternatively, select pieces strategically to match your teaching timeline with Alfred's, so students immediately apply new skills to repertoire that rewards their effort. The teacher duets also make these ideal for studio showcases where you can perform alongside early students.

• Reading and executing melodies in the treble clef with introduced rhythmic figures
• Maintaining steady tempo and pulse while tracking a single melodic line
• Shaping musical phrases and dynamic contrast within a limited range
• Coordination between hands at early levels of independence
• Musical characterization and interpretive choice within structured pieces