Sending You a Little Christmas: Piano

This folio captures Brickman's gift for making well-known carols feel fresh and emotionally immediate through elegant piano arrangements. Pianists get to experience how a master of the contemporary instrumental idiom reimagines holiday standards, which deepens their understanding of arrangement technique and harmonic sophistication. The inclusion of Brickman originals alongside the carol settings creates variety in mood and technical demand, making the collection genuinely rewarding to work through rather than merely a sequence of familiar tunes.

These arrangements occupy the space between intimate and lush. The piano sound is often reflective and warm, with melodies that sing without excessive ornamentation, while harmonies provide emotional substance without overwhelming the clarity of the writing. The collection carries both the nostalgia of cherished carols and the contemporary sensibility of modern songwriting, creating a listening experience that feels both timeless and current.

This collection serves pianists who connect with Brickman's contemporary style and want to explore holiday repertoire beyond traditional classical arrangements. It appeals equally to advanced amateur players and teachers seeking accessible yet artistically substantive Christmas material that listeners will recognize and enjoy. Pianists preparing recital programs or holiday performances will find pieces that blend familiarity with interpretive depth.

• Listen to Brickman's album recordings before learning these pieces. His rubato and touch choices are integral to the interpretation, and hearing his phrasing will guide your own approach.
• Pay attention to the balance between melodic clarity and harmonic support. Brickman's arrangements often ask the pianist to bring out a singing melody while maintaining rich accompaniment textures.
• Explore the dynamic range within single phrases. These pieces often shift between intimate, delicate passages and fuller, more resonant moments; resist the temptation to play at a single dynamic level.
• Use the original recordings as a reference for tempo and overall architecture, but allow yourself room to shape rubato that feels natural to your hands and voice.

Include selections from this folio in holiday recitals or seasonal community concerts where you want to reach audiences who may not regularly attend classical music events. A single Brickman piece or carol arrangement paired with traditional concert repertoire can provide an effective programming bridge that makes the entire concert feel more cohesive. These pieces also work well as intermission music for choral or instrumental holiday performances, offering sophisticated accompaniment that never undermines the main program.

• Balancing lyrical melody against harmonic accompaniment
• Executing stylistic rubato in contemporary composition
• Voicing chords for resonance and clarity
• Interpreting jazz-influenced harmonies in tonal settings
• Adapting phrasing and dynamics to serve emotional content rather than technical display