Pathways to Artistry: Technique, Book 3: Piano Book

Rollin designs Pathways to Artistry to work flexibly within your existing curriculum or to anchor instruction on its own, which means you're not locked into choosing between methods. The technical content builds genuine musicality alongside mechanics, so students understand why they're working on a particular skill and can apply it immediately to pieces that sound musical from day one.

The pieces balance clarity with character, offering moments of lyrical beauty alongside technically satisfying passages that reward careful practice. Rollin's writing invites students to think like musicians, not just technicians, building ownership over their sound and phrasing.

Early intermediate pianists ready to expand beyond basic technique into questions of style, form, and interpretive choices. This book works well for students who benefit from clear structure and hands-on exploration of how technique serves musical expression.

• Balance technique work with the repertoire pieces in the book; use them to reinforce the same skills in a musical context rather than treating technique and music as separate.
• Encourage students to listen for how articulation shapes the character of each piece, especially in contrasting sections where Rollin shifts between legato and detached playing.
• Build confidence by having students perform a piece alongside the technical exercise that prepared it, so they hear the payoff of focused practice.

Use this as a primary technique resource for students advancing into the intermediate repertoire, or pair it with other early intermediate collections to deepen students' understanding of form and style. Its 40-page scope makes it manageable across a full year of lessons, allowing time for both thorough exploration and regular performance.

• Articulation control across different touch types (legato, staccato, portato)
• Sight-reading in a variety of keys and meters
• Chord progressions and harmonic function
• Hand independence and voice leading
• Stylistic interpretation and form awareness
• Scale and arpeggio application in musical contexts