Movie & TV Hits for Teens, Book 1: Piano Book

Coates knows how to write for teenage pianists without sacrificing the spark of the original. These arrangements capture what makes each theme memorable while staying within early intermediate reach, so students get the satisfaction of playing recognizable music from franchises they actually care about. The collection spans eight beloved titles across different genres and film eras, giving you flexibility in how you assign them.

Cinematic and engaging. Whether you're playing the grandeur of Raiders March, the ethereal beauty of Hedwig's Theme, or the infectious optimism of Everything Is Awesome, each arrangement captures the emotional world of its source material. The writing feels modern and accessible, never condescending.

Teenagers who want to play music they recognize and love. These students are often more motivated by contemporary or film repertoire than traditional classical pieces, and this collection gives them immediate gratification while building genuine technique. Early intermediate pianists ready to move beyond simplified versions will find real musical substance here.

• Study the original film or TV theme first. Hearing how John Williams orchestrated Hedwig's Theme or how the Frozen score uses Let It Go will inform your phrasing and dynamic choices, even on an acoustic piano.
• Pay attention to the rhythmic groove in pieces like Everything Is Awesome. Early intermediate students sometimes rush or lose the pocket; locking into a steady internal pulse will make these pop-influenced arrangements land properly.
• Use pedal intentionally in the sustained passages (particularly I See Fire and Newt Says Goodbye to Tina). Let the harmony ring, but lift when the harmony changes to keep the texture clean.

Assign individual pieces as students progress through the year, matching titles to their interests and current technical goals. A spring recital can easily feature three or four of these alongside classical repertoire, giving your program contemporary flavor without sacrificing musicianship. These also work beautifully as assignment pieces for students who need extra motivation to practice or who want to learn something outside their usual lesson material.

• Pedal control and voice balancing in arrangements with thicker textures
• Sustaining musical phrasing across longer melodic lines
• Rhythmic accuracy in syncopated and groove-based passages
• Sight-reading fluency with contemporary harmonic progressions
• Interpretation of film and television scoring idioms