The Bean Bag Zoo Collector's Series, Book 2: Piano Book

Rollin understands what makes late elementary students invest in their practice: she anchors technique directly to vivid, playful imagery rather than abstract instruction. The collection's narrative framework transforms musical challenges (legato, dynamic contrast, character interpretation) into natural extensions of storytelling, so students discover they're building real skills while imagining bean bag animals.

Each piece captures the personality of its animal subject through music that invites playful exaggeration and genuine musical storytelling. The collection maintains genuine musicality while keeping technical demands manageable, so young pianists can sound expressive without feeling overwhelmed.

Late elementary piano students ready to explore expressive playing beyond steady, careful execution. These seven solos work well for students who respond to imaginative prompts and appreciate music connected to stories or visual concepts rather than purely technical exercises.

• Study each piece's animal character first by looking at the accompanying illustrations and descriptions, then let that mental picture guide your hand position, tempo, and dynamic choices before reading any notation.
• Practice the legato passages by thinking of continuous motion (the unicorn's graceful leap, the snake's undulating movement) rather than focusing on finger technique alone.
• Use dramatic dynamics and articulation changes as your main expressive tools for pieces requiring character contrast, exaggerating more than feels comfortable in first readings.

Select individual pieces from the collection for student recitals, festival performances (this book is a Federation Festivals 2024-2028 selection), or studio showcases. The variety of animal characters and moods within the seven solos makes it easy to program pieces that match different students' developing personalities and strengths.

• Dramatic articulation and dynamic contrast (staccato versus legato within single pieces)
• Sustained legato playing with proper finger weight and hand position
• Character interpretation through tempo, dynamics, and phrasing choices
• Reading and responding to expressive markings and descriptive language in music