Magic Carpet for Viola: Concert Pieces for the Youngest Beginners
Concert Pieces for the Youngest Beginners
By Joanne Martin
Item: 00-PB-0001810
$13.99
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Description
Magic Carpet is a collection of audience-pleasing concert pieces for the youngest beginners. These pieces can be used in either a reading-based or Suzuki teaching environment, and teachers can choose whether the children learn them by reading or by ear. Magic Carpet is available for violin, viola, and cello students, with a separate book (with audio) and piano accompaniment for each instrument.
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
32
SKU:
00-PB-0001810
Instrumentation:
Viola
More about this title
About the Composer: Joanne Martin
Joanne Martin has built a career bridging performance, pedagogy, and composition across North America and Europe. As a violist and multi-instrumentalist, she has performed with ensembles including the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, while simultaneously establishing herself as a Suzuki Teacher Trainer recognized by both the Suzuki Association of the Americas and the European Suzuki Association. Her work on the Board of Directors of the Suzuki Association of the Americas and her 2007 American Suzuki Institute Suzuki Chair Award reflect her sustained impact on string education.
Martin's publishing record speaks to her deep understanding of what young string players need. The I Can Read Music series, now standard internationally for beginning note-readers in Suzuki settings, demonstrates her ability to marry pedagogical insight with practical classroom application. Her other works, including Festive Strings, Folk String series, and ViolaFest, showcase her gift for flexible scoring that accommodates mixed levels and instruments. Magic Carpet represents her latest contribution to the youngest beginners, drawing on decades of teaching experience across multiple continents.
Why we love this
Martin has written pieces that actually sound like music rather than exercises, which means your young students will experience the satisfaction of playing something beautiful from day one. The flexibility to teach by ear or note-reading means you're not locked into one pedagogical approach, and the orchestration with piano accompaniment transforms a beginner's solo into a genuine ensemble experience.
What to expect
These pieces capture the wonder and accessibility of beginner repertoire while maintaining real melodic interest. Each one feels like a small adventure rather than a technical stepping stone, with warm accompaniments that support young players without overwhelming them.
Who it's for
Beginning violists who are ready for their first concert experiences, whether they are learning primarily through note-reading or ear training. Directors and private teachers looking for genuinely engaging pieces that build musicianship alongside technique in the first year or two of study.
How to get the most out of it
- Pay attention to dynamics even in early pieces; they shape the character and hold the audience's engagement in ways young players don't always anticipate.
- Use the piano accompaniment strategically in rehearsal to help violists internalize the harmonic context, then gradually reduce it as confidence builds.
- Encourage longer phrase lines by having students listen to the recorded version first, which plants a musical shape in their ears before they pick up their instruments.
How to use it
Feature these in early-season ensemble concerts where young students anchor the program with pieces that showcase their progress without requiring virtuosic facility. They also work beautifully for family recitals or casual performances that celebrate the beginning stage of string study without the pressure of advanced technical demands.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining longer melodic phrases with consistent bow control
- Reading pitch in first position across multiple lines
- Listening and responding to harmonic support from accompaniment
- Building confidence in solo performance settings
- Coordinate rhythmic accuracy with another ensemble member (pianist)