Yesterday, Mona shared about her favorite elementary pieces and why she likes them. Today, she shares about her favorite intermediate pieces:
Early Intermediate
“Snap To It!” on the early intermediate level is a piece I often hear performed at jazz festivals. It is now available in the HLSPL Piano Recital Showcase Book 3. This solo doesn’t stray far from basic five-finger patterns, but the challenge is found in the syncopated jazz rhythms and the added percussion. The student plays a bass line with the left hand while snapping with the right hand at various times. It is great fun to hear at a performance!
Intermediate
“Nocturne” which is found in HLSPL Piano Solos Book 5 as well as in Portraits in Style is one of my earlier compositions on the intermediate level. It is unabashedly romantic in style, featuring a lovely melody over a descending chromatic bass line. Harmonically the middle section follows the circle of fifths, and the entire piece is to be played expressively. The final measures instruct the student to play rubato, so they can experiment with exactly how they want the piece to end.
Don’t forget to submit your interview questions to Mona by Monday, September 27th on this Composer Interview post.
