New Release: Just for Kids

Mona Rejino has a new book out that looks like just plain fun for everyone!  The book is Just for Kids and features elementary pieces about all kinds of favorite activities of children.  I think this is going to be a big hit in my studio for spring recital pieces.  There’s even a left-hand along piece called “Broken Arm Blues” for your students who have an injury this spring!  Mona has graciously donated a copy of this book for a giveaway. So after you have read this post, you may enter the drawing by doing any or all of the following: 1. Commenting, 2.  FB’ing or 3. Tweeting about this article, linking back to this page.

Here is an interview I had with Mona about Just For Kids:

1. What kinds of pieces are in Just for Kids?

Just for Kids contains topics that are relevant to children all over the world. Songs are built around many typical activities that kids participate in such as flying a kite, eating pepperoni pizza, taking a vacation, and dreaming of a visit from the tooth fairy.

2. What was your inspiration for writing this book?

Over the past few months I made it a point to ask my elementary-age students what their favorite activities and life experiences were. As you can imagine, I received a huge variety of answers! However, I also found that many kiddos shared the same ones, from their desire to be a rock star to dreading Monday mornings after a great weekend. Some things are universal!

3. Please talk about one of your favorite pieces in the book and why it is your favorite.

The first piece I wrote for this collection is called “I Wanna Be a Rock Star.” Over the summer I asked one of my five-year old students what she wanted to be when she grows up. With her big blue eyes sparkling and with no hesitation whatsoever, she replied that she wanted to be a rock star. Don’t we all! This piece basically fits a 12-bar blues progression, yet in a rock style. I love to improvise in this way with my students, so now we have a written out improvisation.

4. What ages of students do you think will enjoy playing pieces from this book?

The target age for this book is five to ten-year olds. No student would be too young, and I think any student younger than middle-school age would relate to these pieces.

5. Do you think students might be interested in performing any of these pieces for a spring recital?

I would hope so. Four of the eight pieces include teacher accompaniments which fill out and enhance the student parts. “Aquarium Dreams” is a short solo built entirely on the whole tone scale. It uses pedal throughout, and can easily be taught by rote. This selection was inspired when I saw children at the pediatrician’s office staring for long stretches of time at the beautiful fish swimming in the aquarium. They were completely immersed in observing these interesting creatures, and I wrote this song in the hopes that it would introduce students to a world of sound they may not have experienced before.

It seems like every spring one of my students breaks an arm, usually before the recital! I wrote “Broken Arms Woes” for left hand solo to give these students a musical voice even when they are not at their physical best!

6. Can you describe the level of this book in detail?

Just for Kids is elementary level. All of the pieces are in five-finger patterns, with an occasional chord, hand over hand arpeggio, and some pedal for color. There is some hands together playing, but on a very rudimentary level. I believe that any second year student would feel comfortable playing the pieces in this book.

7. What else would you like to share with us about Just for Kids?

Students of this age and level are among my favorites to teach. They are so eager to learn and experience new sounds on the keyboard! My hope is that many students will relate to these situations and connect with the music in a special way. Some of these stories will be their own, and they can express themselves through the music on a personal level.

Thank you Mona for taking the time to answer these questions.  I’ve already ordered a copy for one of my students!