Melody Bober's Favorite Solos, Book 2: Piano Book

Bober writes with genuine understanding of what keeps late elementary and early intermediate students engaged. This collection spans ragtime, narrative, character pieces, and technical showcases without a single throwaway piece. Each solo earns its place and reads fresh, making recital programming feel less like assembly-line duplication and more like genuine repertoire curation.

These pieces balance playfulness with substance. You'll encounter ragtime swagger, cinematic storytelling, rhythmic momentum, and quiet introspection all within 24 pages. The music never feels condescending; instead, it invites students into genuine musical decision-making about character, tempo, and texture from the first reading.

Late elementary and early intermediate pianists who benefit from variety and strong compositional craft in their solo repertoire. Teachers building recital programs will find pieces that offer both challenge and confidence-building payoff. This collection works equally well for students exploring different musical styles or for those who simply respond better to contemporary, accessible writing.

• Notice the rhythmic vitality in titles like Speedway and Whirlwind; use articulation and tempo clarity to define the energy rather than rushing the notes.
• Approach the ragtime pieces (Ready for Ragtime and Rodeo Rag) by establishing a steady pulse first, then layering in the syncopated figures so the hand independence feels organic rather than mechanical.
• In character pieces like A Pocketful of Memories and Twilight Reverie, listen for what the left hand is communicating about texture and mood; let that foundation shape your right-hand phrasing.
• Treat Simply Frightful as a mini-drama; the mood shifts deserve clear dynamic contrast and articulation choices that telegraph the character changes to your audience.

Bober's pieces work beautifully as individual recital solos or as a complete concert program for an intermediate-level student showcase. Mix and match by mood or style to build a thoughtful half-recital program, or select one piece as a palate-cleanser between more traditional or demanding repertoire. The variety makes this collection especially useful for building a year's worth of accessible performance material.

• Syncopation and ragtime rhythm patterns
• Left-hand accompaniment figures (arpeggios, broken chords, steady bass lines)
• Dynamic shaping and mood establishment within simple formal structures
• Articulation clarity for character definition
• Sight-reading independence through accessible but varied textures