Mike Springer's Favorite Solos, Book 3: Piano Book

Springer's collection balances thematic coherence with genuine stylistic range. Nine pieces across Latin, jazz, Americana, and descriptive music styles means you'll find something to match your student's personality and your recital's tone, all written with the intermediate pianist's hand position and technical reality firmly in mind.

This collection swings between contemplative landscapes (Mighty Mount McKinley, Sierra Madre) and rhythmic energy (the jazz pieces, the Latin celebrations). There's genuine warmth in Mariachi Serenade and playful spirit in Dazzling Lights, making it feel less like a technical workbook and more like a tour through Springer's compositional interests.

Intermediate to late intermediate pianists preparing for recitals or needing solo repertoire that connects to their growing stylistic awareness. The collection works equally well for students building confidence in public performance and for teachers seeking variety in a single source.

• Spend time on the jazz pieces early in your practice schedule. The rhythmic feels in Jazzin' Around Town and Jazzy Locomotive require a relaxed, unhurried approach that develops better with exposure and repetition.
• Let the descriptive pieces (Iditarod Sled Race and Mighty Mount McKinley) guide your pedal choices. The imagery in titles often points toward the harmonic and textural effects Springer intended.
• The Latin selections benefit from clear articulation in the right hand. Cinco de Mayo and Rio Grande sit better when you can hear the melodic line cut through the accompaniment patterns.
• Mark your fingerings in pencil before the first full run-through. Springer's writing sometimes favors musical phrasing over the most obvious technical path, so planning ahead prevents mid-performance adjustments.

These pieces work beautifully scattered across a studio recital or used to anchor different sections of a larger program. The stylistic diversity also makes this collection valuable for students rotating through repertoire across a full academic year, with enough substance that pieces earn return visits without feeling repetitive.

• Rhythmic independence between hands in jazz idioms (syncopation, swing feels)
• Pedal control and harmonic resonance in descriptive pieces
• Articulation clarity in Latin rhythmic contexts
• Tempo and phrasing consistency across contrasting musical characters
• Sight-reading confidence through exposure to multiple stylistic conventions in one book