Randall Hartsell's compositional voice emerged from necessity and curiosity. Growing up in North Carolina without a piano at home, he walked to his aunt and uncle's house each afternoon to practice for an hour, eventually prompting his parents to purchase an instrument of his own. During high school, he began writing pieces inspired by his English class reading list and contributed original works for the school choir's radio broadcasts. His formal training came later; composition study didn't enter his college curriculum at East Carolina University until his senior year.
After graduating, Hartsell taught in a small town and resumed composing with fresh purpose. A formative meeting with publisher Lynn Freeman Olson in the early 1980s led to his first Alfred publication, the three-book Something Special series (1990), which became widely adopted in studios. More than 60 collections and solos followed. Today, based in Charlotte, he remains active as a teacher, clinician, adjudicator, accompanist, and church musician, channeling the same lyrical sensibility that first drew him to the piano into works designed to inspire students at every level.
Why we love this
Hartsell writes with genuine musicality at the intermediate level, avoiding the patronizing simplification that plagues so much educational repertoire. This piece balances pedagogical clarity with real artistic content, giving students something worth playing rather than just exercises dressed up as compositions. The three-page length works perfectly for recital programs or portfolio pieces without overwhelming developing pianists.
What to expect
The piece captures a specific atmospheric moment: contrast between sunlit warmth and the gentle, meditative quality of rain. Hartsell's harmonic language creates moments of brightness and shimmer alongside passages of introspection, moving fluidly between moods without jarring shifts. The musical landscape feels contemporary in its sensibility while remaining rooted in traditional voice leading and structure.
Who it's for
Intermediate pianists ready to explore pieces with real musical substance beyond simple accompaniment patterns. Students preparing recitals or festival performances will find a piece that sounds polished without requiring advanced technique. Teachers seeking material that challenges rhythmic independence and pedal control without excessive note-reading complexity will appreciate Hartsell's balanced approach.
How to get the most out of it
Map out the harmonic progression before diving into note reading; understanding the underlying chord changes will anchor your practice and reveal the emotional arc Hartsell intends.
Listen to the title itself as interpretive guidance. Sunbursts suggests brightness and quick movement, while rain implies legato transitions and softer textural moments; let these images guide your dynamic choices.
Practice hands separately through one full pass before combining; this piece contains just enough textural independence to benefit from that discipline, and it speeds up coordination learning.
How to use it
Program this as a standalone recital piece for a student seeking something with contemporary character but traditional craft, or pair it with a Baroque selection to highlight Hartsell's harmonic language against earlier styles. Its moderate length and emotional maturity make it ideal for a studio recital closing or as the final piece in a student's spring performance before advancing to a new level.
Skills your students will build
Pedal control and textural awareness
Harmonic listening and chord recognition
Balancing melodic and accompaniment voices
Interpretive decision-making based on programmatic titles
Legato and staccato independence within the same passage
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