Melody's Choice, Book 1: Early Elementary/Elementary Piano Book

Bober curated this collection with a teacher's eye for variety and choice. Rather than serving up ten similar pieces, she assembled works across multiple moods and styles, giving students agency in selecting what speaks to them while still providing coherent repertoire. The inclusion of teacher accompaniments transforms each piece from a solo exercise into a collaborative musical experience, which deepens both the learning and the performance.

This collection spans a genuine range of moods and character. Some pieces sparkle with playfulness; others unfold with lyrical warmth. What ties them together is an underlying sense of encouragement, as if Bober is saying: this is for you, and it matters.

Early elementary and elementary students building confidence with solo repertoire that feels complete and satisfying to perform. Teachers looking for pieces that don't demand advanced technique but do demand genuine musicality and interpretation.

• Listen to the teacher accompaniment first as a standalone piece before learning your part. This helps you hear the harmonic and rhythmic context your melody lives in.
• Experiment with different tempos within the marked range if one is given. Student and teacher should agree on the final choice together so both parts feel secure.
• Pay attention to any style markings or character indications at the top of each piece. These guide your phrasing and tone more than the notes themselves do.
• Practice your part separately from the accompaniment until you know it cold, then add the teacher part in gradually to avoid rushing or pulling tempo.

Pull individual pieces from this collection for student recitals throughout the year rather than programming all ten at once. The diversity means you can pair a reflective piece with an energetic one, or match selections to the emotional arc of a concert. This book also works beautifully as a studio assignment tool, where students choose which piece to prepare for their lesson or performance.

• Reading and executing style markings and performance indications
• Listening to and responding to accompaniment while maintaining independence
• Sustaining musical phrasing across short sections
• Interpreting tempo and dynamic nuance beyond literal notation
• Building repertoire confidence through varied but accessible literature