Solo Xtreme, Book 2: Piano Book

Name: Solo Xtreme, Book 2: Piano Book
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-46098
Price: 8.99 USD
Availability: InStock

9 X-traordinary and Challenging Piano Pieces

By Melody Bober

Level: Elementary / Late Elementary

Item: 00-46098

$8.99

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The term "xtreme" is often used in sports to indicate feats that go beyond the ordinary. The pieces in the Solo Xtreme series were written to encourage piano students to achieve similar feats. Pieces in this series move beyond single-line melodies that stay in one location, challenging students instead to move around the keyboard, cross hand-over-hand, use a variety of articulations, play harmonic intervals and accidentals, and use the pedal to create color and moods. At the same time, they expand technique and musicianship. Titles: Bike Trek * Evening Sail * Goosebump Boogie * Holiday Bells * La Celebración * Night Whispers * Stealth Mode * Steps to a Mystery * Taco Time! A Federation Festivals 2020-2024 selection. A Federation Festivals 2024-2028 selection.

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Solo Xtreme, Book 2: Piano Book comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

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Series: Solo Xtreme

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 24

ISBN10: 1-4706-3866-5

ISBN13: 978-1-4706-3866-5

UPC: 038081529493

SKU: 00-46098

More about this title

About the Composer: Melody Bober

Melody Bober composes piano repertoire that genuinely motivates students to expand their technical reach and musical confidence. She earned a bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (summa cum laude) and a Master of Arts in piano performance from Minnesota State University, Moorhead, studying with pianists Joel Shapiro and Andrew Froelich alongside music education mentor Mary Hoffman and jazz educator Tony Caramia.

Beyond composition, Bober maintains an active career as a church pianist, accompanist, and private studio teacher in Minnesota. She has taught piano in public schools for two decades and at the university level, and she regularly clinics at piano teacher conventions and workshops across North America. Her pieces reflect deep classroom experience: they know what motivates young pianists and what technical challenges actually strengthen their musicianship.

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Why we love this

These eight pieces deliver genuine technical growth without sacrificing the fun factor. Bober writes with a student's actual hand size and reach in mind, designing each piece so pianists must navigate the keyboard boldly, cross hands deliberately, and solve real musical problems (pedal color, harmonic intervals, articulation variety) rather than simply play a melody from start to finish. The collection includes Federation Festivals selections for both 2020-2024 and 2024-2028, so pieces are immediately competition-ready.

What to expect

Each piece carries its own character: "Goosebump Boogie" has swagger and rhythm; "Night Whispers" creates an intimate, reflective mood through pedal and gentle dynamic shading; "La Celebración" sparkles with Latin flavor. Throughout the collection, Bober pairs engaging titles and recognizable moods with the technical courage required to execute hand crossovers, varied articulations, and dynamic contrasts. The result feels less like "exercise" and more like "real music that happens to stretch me."

Who it's for

Elementary and late elementary pianists who are ready to move beyond melodies confined to one hand position and who want pieces that feel genuinely musical, not mechanical. These eight works suit students preparing for festival performances, recitals, or simply the satisfaction of playing something that asks them to really move around the keyboard.

How to get the most out of it

Explore the pedal deliberately in pieces like "Night Whispers" and "Evening Sail," testing how color changes when you sustain different harmonic combinations. This isn't decoration; it's part of learning how the pedal actually works.
Map the hand movements before drilling fast passages. "Stealth Mode" and "Steps to a Mystery" ask the right hand to travel across registers; visualizing the path prevents tension and builds confidence.
Practice the accidentals and harmonic intervals separately. Pieces like "La Celebración" and "Taco Time!" include chromatic notes and interval leaps that reward deliberate attention before combining them with tempo.

How to use it

These pieces work beautifully in recital programs where you want to showcase both technique and musicianship without requiring advanced repertoire. The range of styles (boogie, folk-like reflection, Latin rhythms, mysterious atmospheres, holiday flavor) lets you program variety without jumping between difficulty levels. Several selections are ideal festival entries, and their engaging character makes them memorable programming choices for studio showcases or school music events.