Piano Pedagogy Playlist

Ep. 41 – Around the World in Six Dances

This week, we’re taking a musical trip around the world with Wynn-Anne Rossi’s newly released series Dancing With the World. Designed as a four-volume collection spanning multiple levels, the series explores traditional dance styles from a variety of cultures and transforms them into engaging piano repertoire for students. In this episode, I’m focusing on six selections from Volume 2, written for late-elementary and early-intermediate pianists. Along the way, we’ll explore the dances that inspired these pieces and consider why Dancing With the World could become a wonderful framework for a themed recital, summer camp, or studio-wide project. Pack your dancing shoes and your passport! Story of the Khon (from Dancing With The World, vol. 2) Wynn-Anne Rossi Late Elementary Digital Download [https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/story-of-the-khon-thailand-p500489?aff=108] Printed Edition [https://www.alfred.com/products/dancing-with-the-world-book-2-98-fjh2371] Bhangra Meets Bollywood (from Dancing With The World, vol. 2) Wynn-Anne Rossi Late Elementary Digital Download [https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/bhangra-meets-bollywood-india-p500496?aff=108] Printed Edition [https://www.alfred.com/products/dancing-with-the-world-book-2-98-fjh2371] Deep Purple Tango (from Dancing With The World, vol. 2) Wynn-Anne Rossi Digital Download [https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/sidewalk-lindy-hop-new-york-city-p500494?aff=108] Printed Edition [https://www.alfred.com/products/dancing-with-the-world-book-2-98-fjh2371] Whirling Dervish (from Dancing With The World, vol. 2) Wynn-Anne Rossi Late Elementary Digital Download [https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/whirling-dervish-turkey-p500485?aff=108] Printed Edition [https://www.alfred.com/products/dancing-with-the-world-book-2-98-fjh2371] Wild Hopak (from Dancing With The World, vol. 2) Wynn-Anne Rossi Early Intermediate Digital Download [https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/wild-hopak-ukraine-p500491?aff=108] Printed Edition [https://www.alfred.com/products/dancing-with-the-world-book-2-98-fjh2371]

Ep. 40 – Summer Road Trip with Christopher Goldston

School’s almost out, summer is calling, and this week on The Piano Pedagogy Playlist we’re packing up the car and heading out on a musical road trip. Join me for a journey from Chicago through the Great Smoky Mountains and on to Myrtle Beach as I explore music by Chicago composer Christopher Goldston, along with one special selection connected to the legacy of his mother, Margaret Goldston — one of the most influential voices in late twentieth-century piano pedagogy. Along the way we’ll encounter energetic pop-inspired rhythms, mountain scenery, rolling ocean waves, a dramatic seaside cadenza, and a touching musical collaboration that feels as though the trip wasn’t only geographical, but also across generations. Open Road Christopher Goldston Early Intermediate Digital Download [https://www.chrisgoldston.com/product/open-road/] Mountain Waterfall (from The Great Smokies) Christopher Goldston Intermediate Digital Download [https://www.chrisgoldston.com/product/the-great-smokies/] Seagulls Over Myrtle Beach Margaret Goldston Intermediate Digital Download [https://www.chrisgoldston.com/product/seagulls-over-myrtle-beach/] Wishing Christopher Goldston Intermediate Digital Download [https://www.chrisgoldston.com/product/wishing/]

Ep. 39 – The Quiet Legacy of Seymour Bernstein

Last week, the piano world lost the American pianist, composer, teacher, and author Seymour Bernstein at the age of 99. In this special episode of The Piano Pedagogy Playlist, I reflect on Bernstein’s extraordinary life and legacy — not only as a concert artist, but as one of the great master teachers of American piano pedagogy. Although Bernstein enjoyed a successful performing career, he made the remarkable decision at the age of fifty to step away from the concert stage permanently, devoting himself instead to teaching, composing, and writing. He never seemed to view teaching as something lesser than performing. In many ways, he appeared to see it as the deeper artistic calling. I also share some thoughts on Ethan Hawke’s beautiful documentary Seymour: An Introduction, which offers a moving portrait of Bernstein’s artistic philosophy, humanity, and lifelong devotion to music. The second half of the episode features a miniature recital of four pieces from Bernstein’s collection Birds: • The Purple Finch • The Hummingbird • The Vulture • The Nightingale These impressionistic character pieces beautifully showcase Bernstein’s gift for writing imaginative, expressive, and pianistically satisfying music for students. — Remembering a musician who devoted his life not only to piano playing, but to the people learning to play. — The Purple Finch (from Birds vol. 1) Seymour Bernstein Intermediate Printed Edition [https://www.amazon.com/-/zh_TW/Birds-Book-1-Seymour-Bernstein/dp/0793538777] The Hummingbird (from Birds vol. 1) Seymour Bernstein Intermediate Printed Edition [https://www.amazon.com/-/zh_TW/Birds-Book-1-Seymour-Bernstein/dp/0793538777] The Vulture (from Birds vol. 1) Seymour Bernstein Intermediate Printed Edition [https://www.amazon.com/-/zh_TW/Birds-Book-1-Seymour-Bernstein/dp/0793538777] The Nightingale (from Birds vol. 2) Seymour Bernstein Late Intermediate Printed Edition [https://www.amazon.com/-/zh_TW/Birds-Book-1-Seymour-Bernstein/dp/0793538777] Watch the documentary now, for free! Seymour: an Introduction [https://tubitv.com/movies/636697/seymour-an-introduction]

Ep. 38 – May in Motion: Graceful Dances at Two Levels

On the first Monday of each month, The Piano Pedagogy Playlist features a piece from Chris Caine’s A Year in Twelve Keys—a collection that explores all twelve key signatures using only the notes within each key. For May, we turn to Dance in May, an expressive and graceful work in 3/4 time that deliberately avoids the feel of a traditional waltz. Instead, the piece invites students to think in longer phrases—shaping a continuous, legato line while navigating octave writing, carefully choreographed hand-offs of the melody, and nuanced pedaling. As a companion piece, I’m playing Pink Tulips from “A Splash of Color” by Dennis Alexander. Though significantly simpler from a technical standpoint, it does share a similar sense of motion. Subtle surprises in harmony and phrase length give the piece a sense of expansion and musical curiosity. Together, these two works offer a thoughtful look at how we can help students develop a sense of flow and expressive timing across different stages of study. Dance in May (from, A Year in Twelve Keys) Chris Caine Late Intermediate Digital Download [https://store.trinitycollege.com/discount/AWM824NEUNKM5?redirect=/collections/a-year-in-twelve-keys-diatonic-studies-for-piano/products/a-year-in-twelve-keys-diatonic-studies-for-piano&aff=182] Pink Tulips (from, A Splash of Color) Dennis Alexander Early Intermediate Printed Edition [https://www.amazon.com/Splash-Color-Contemporary-Awareness-Performance/dp/0739013165/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AZKAI371A35M&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.M-DR9SWoRk4N1ik76noUbuyUskJs0uiC4YXxyuuowaKsVLup79-rJw1MKQq3SjbTE1dbA37QWOvtSAUJofAx_Fy7Temo0pwmVuzH_0cAHEfWlf_AhFeyOdH4W8Im7olgHS1GUnPYYB2tuvYdXcNCtqPi35H6U9o-3znIsXFoV0tT_pZ4IilQ-b0cpIbJtb2RjvK-9YNFoKmOFtrvfa9fTBB-B6pBlQE9MQNByfPCWMg.nrTrgtaKpy3lL2eAjfdZ6yUYoo9dYyxswoNdc1ugpqI&dib_tag=se&keywords=splash+of+color+alexander&qid=1777852421&sprefix=splash+of+color+alexand%2Caps%2C138&sr=8-1]

Ep. 37 – For The Gamer Who Thinks They Don’t Like Piano

Today’s episode is for a very specific student. The one who’s deeply immersed in video games and gaming culture… who loves music—but doesn’t think they love piano. Maybe they’ve even decided they’re a little too cool for it. This week I’m sharing music that can change that perception. Featuring selections from Let’s Quest, Volume 2 by Chrissy Ricker, these original piano pieces capture the sound world of video games. Even though the music is new, it feels familiar—often leading students to that moment of recognition: “Oh… this feels like my music.” In the episode, I share a recent teaching moment where that exact shift happened—and how repertoire like this can completely change a student’s outlook on their piano studies. Mission Alpha (from Let’s Quest, Vol. 2) Chrissy Ricker Early Intermediate Digital Download [https://pianopronto.com/composers-community/chrissy-ricker/chrissy-ricker-lets-quest-volume-2/] Printed Edition [https://pianopronto.com/composers-community/chrissy-ricker/chrissy-ricker-lets-quest-volume-2/] Only in Dreams (from Let’s Quest, Vol. 2) Chrissy Ricker Early Intermediate Digital Download [https://pianopronto.com/composers-community/chrissy-ricker/chrissy-ricker-lets-quest-volume-2/] Printed Edition [https://pianopronto.com/composers-community/chrissy-ricker/chrissy-ricker-lets-quest-volume-2/] Stealth Mode (from Let’s Quest, Vol. 2) Chrissy Ricker Early Intermediate Digital Download [https://pianopronto.com/composers-community/chrissy-ricker/chrissy-ricker-lets-quest-volume-2/] Printed Edition [https://pianopronto.com/composers-community/chrissy-ricker/chrissy-ricker-lets-quest-volume-2/] Awakening (from Let’s Quest, Vol. 2) Chrissy Ricker Early Intermediate Digital Download [https://pianopronto.com/composers-community/chrissy-ricker/chrissy-ricker-lets-quest-volume-2/] Printed Edition [https://pianopronto.com/composers-community/chrissy-ricker/chrissy-ricker-lets-quest-volume-2/]