You Plus an Orchestra... Play Christmas Favorites!: Piano Book & CD

The dual-piano setup transforms these familiar carols into something genuinely orchestral without requiring your students to sight-read complex scores. Hearing the full arrangement first, then stepping into the lead role with professional support underneath, builds interpretive maturity fast. This is how professionals learn.

There's a particular joy to playing these well-loved carols when you're held up by orchestral strings and woodwinds beneath you. Each selection shimmers with holiday warmth while your fingers handle the melodic and harmonic work, giving the music substance and presence that solo piano sometimes lacks.

Intermediate pianists who want to experience playing with orchestral forces without the complexity of full score study. This book works equally well for students preparing for recitals, holiday performances, or those simply ready to move beyond solo practice into a more collaborative sound world.

• Spend time listening to the complete Ed Shanaphy recording before touching the keys. Notice how he phrases each tune, where he breathes, how the orchestra supports key moments. This preps your ear for what you're about to do.
• Balance your own sound against the recorded accompaniment during your first few run-throughs. You may need to adjust voicing or pedal technique to sit properly within the mix rather than fighting it.
• Record yourself playing along with the accompaniment track. Hearing playback reveals rhythmic drift and intonation issues that disappear in real-time performance.
• Choose 2-3 selections to master completely before adding others to your repertoire. Depth here beats breadth, especially when you're coordinating with recorded material.

Season this across your December schedule: solo performances at holiday concerts, small-group recital showcases, or intimate after-dinner events where students play for family and staff. You might also use individual selections as pre-concert warm-ups, letting advanced students build confidence on familiar material before tackling harder winter repertoire.

• Playing rhythmically secure against recorded accompaniment
• Balancing solo voice with orchestral texture
• Phrase shaping and interpretive choice within a structured arrangement
• Pedal management in fuller harmonic contexts
• Musical independence and confidence in public performance