The Best of Martha Mier, Book 1: Piano Book

Mier's gift for writing memorable, character-driven pieces at the early elementary level means students actually want to practice these solos. The titles alone capture imagination (Fuzzy Wuzzy Worm, Gold Doubloons, P-I-N-K), and the music behind them delivers genuine personality without unnecessary technical obstacles. This collection gives you reliable, engaging repertoire that builds student confidence while keeping their attention on music, not mechanics.

Opening this book feels like discovering a treasure chest of small musical stories. Each piece invites the student into a world (a fuzzy worm, pirate treasure, a color) and asks the hands to paint that picture on the keyboard. The writing is accessible but never condescending, leaving room for genuine musicality within a manageable technical range.

Early elementary and elementary piano students ready to move beyond rote playing into pieces with real character and personality. This collection is ideal for private studio teachers, group piano classes, and piano programs serving students ages 6 through 10 who are building fluency with both hands and beginning to understand musical expression.

• Let the titles guide interpretation. Each piece has a distinct character, so ask students what story or scene the title suggests, then shape tone, tempo, and articulation to match that image.
• Balance technical accuracy with musical storytelling. These early elementary pieces are simple enough that students can focus on phrasing, dynamics, and expression rather than survival reading.
• Use the variety of styles within the book to explore different touches and moods. Moving between contrasting pieces helps students develop tonal control and interpretive flexibility.

Feature individual pieces from this collection in student recitals throughout the year, using the variety to program back-to-back solos with different moods and textures. Many studios use Mier's elementary collections as anchors for spring and fall performance schedules because the pieces are learned quickly, performed confidently, and resonate with family audiences.

• Playing both hands together with independence and coordination
• Executing basic articulation patterns (staccato, legato, accent)
• Reading treble clef and bass clef in conjunction
• Shaping musical phrases with attention to dynamics and tempo
• Interpreting pictorial and narrative elements through musical choices