My Kind of Music, Book 3: Early Intermediate Piano Book

This book recognizes that intermediate students need repertoire with real character and contemporary sensibility. Olson avoids the generic étude feel entirely, instead offering pieces with distinct personalities and evocative titles that make students feel connected to the music they're learning.

Each piece carries its own vivid mood. You move from the exotic atmosphere of a Cairo marketplace to the comic tension of someone tiptoeing around trouble, then into introspective landscapes and laid-back moments. The writing feels contemporary without being precious.

Early intermediate pianists ready to move beyond basic technique books but not yet at an advanced level. This collection works for students learning repertoire in a lesson context or preparing short recital pieces.

• Approach the accidentals in On the Streets of Cairo deliberately; they're not obstacles but essential flavor. Practice hands separately until the chromatic movement feels natural.
• Let the staccatos in Sneaking Around drive the suspense. These aren't quick jabs but controlled, rhythmic articulations that build tension.
• Find the underlying pulse in pieces like Lazy Afternoon before layering in the rubato. A solid foundation makes the relaxed feel intentional rather than loose.

Mix and match these for student recitals throughout the year. A few pieces work well as contrasting selections in solo festivals, or pair them as a set within a larger showcase to demonstrate range and personality.

• Reading and performing modal melodies with chromatic alterations
• Control of staccato articulation for rhythmic character
• Interpreting rubato and expressive phrasing
• Managing accidentals in the context of key signatures
• Balancing melody and accompaniment with textural variety