Pathways to Artistry: Repertoire, Book 1: Piano Book

Rollin writes from genuine understanding of what late elementary students need to hear and play. Rather than treating artistry as a distant goal, this book makes it immediate through newly composed pieces that reinforce technique while introducing shape, style, and character from the very first page. Teachers will recognize her hand in the balance between accessibility and musical substance.

Fresh and purposeful. Each piece unfolds with clear musical intent; you sense the composer respecting your emerging abilities while refusing to talk down to you. There is genuine artistry here, expressed through accessible harmonies, manageable ranges, and forms you can actually hear and remember.

Late elementary pianists who have mastered basic reading and hand position and are ready to expand beyond early method-book repertoire. Teachers seeking repertoire that builds technique and musicianship simultaneously will find this book indispensable for students making the transition toward intermediate classical and contemporary works.

• Listen to recordings or watch videos of pieces in different styles represented in the book before you play them. Internalizing the rhythmic feel and phrasing of, say, a folk-influenced piece versus a more lyrical one will inform your interpretive choices.
• Identify the form of each piece (AB, ABA, rondo) and use that map to shape your phrasing. Recognizing where a section repeats or contrasts helps you avoid playing it the same way twice.
• Practice the pieces away from the piano first by singing or saying the melody. This helps you hear the line before your fingers play it, making articulation and pedal choices more purposeful.

Use this book as your core repertoire source during the late elementary years, alternating pieces from it with method-book studies to reinforce technical concepts. Individual selections work well for studio recitals, informal student showcases, and lesson-sharing events where you want to demonstrate both growth and musicality in a single program.

• Recognizing and performing basic musical forms (AB, ABA, rondo)
• Applying dynamic shape and phrasing to short melodic lines
• Reading and interpreting style indications and tempo markings
• Coordinating technique with artistic intent (using rubato, pedal, and articulation expressively)
• Identifying stylistic elements across genres (folk, march, waltz, contemporary)