Little Shooting Star - Piano Solo: Piano

Montgomery writes with genuine understanding of what engages young pianists. The open fifths and Indian drum beat pulse make this piece immediately fun to play without requiring advanced technique, while the hand-switching melody keeps students thinking about voice leading and independence. It's earned selection in two consecutive Federation Festivals cycles for good reason: it sounds more sophisticated than it plays.

Rhythmically alive and percussive, with a hypnotic quality that comes from those repeating open fifths. The melody dances across both hands in a way that feels playful and exploratory, never settling where you expect it, while dynamic contrasts give the piece surprising depth for its length.

Elementary pianists working toward independence and hand coordination. Students benefit most when they have solid single-hand technique and can read confidently in treble clef, making this ideal for late elementary or early intermediate preparation.

• Lock the open fifths rhythm steady in the left hand; let them anchor the Indian drum beat rather than wavering with the melody shifts above.
• Experiment with the accents to shape the drum pattern. Some students will need to practice isolating those markings away from the full texture first.
• Follow the dynamic variety carefully. The shifts between loud and soft sections define the piece's character as much as the rhythm does.
• When the melody moves between hands, make sure the transition feels seamless by overlapping the sound slightly rather than creating a gap.

Program this as a confident elementary showcase piece on a student recital, or use it as a stepping stone toward more complex rhythmic writing in intermediate repertoire. Its Federation Festivals selection makes it a natural choice for festival preparation, and the percussive character offers a refreshing contrast to lyrical ballads or Baroque arrangements in a mixed solo program.

• Hand independence and melody shifting between right and left hands
• Reading and maintaining open fifth patterns while managing textural changes
• Rhythmic precision with accented eighth-note patterns
• Dynamic contrast and phrasing across four pages of sustained interest
• Performance confidence in a piece with contemporary, non-traditional sonority