Beginning adult piano students can really struggle with the emotional weight of sounding like a beginner. Of course, this is true for kids as well, but I find it sits differently with adults. When I think it about it from their perspective, I completely understand why sounding like a beginner can discourage adult students. We need more music adults love! Here’s why:
Take a minute to imagine that you’re at a family gathering, a wedding, or even at a shopping center. An adult walks up to the piano and begins playing something – what are you expecting to hear? Beethoven? Or Row Row Row Your Boat in Middle C position?
This mental image of playing for family members or an audience may be what your adult students are picturing when they begin lessons. And even if they’re learning with no desire whatsoever to perform – they still want to play pieces that are beautiful!
Most primer level books don’t include pieces that sound mature, simply because they’re geared towards the “standard” young beginner. This is where the “In Beautiful Places” and “Exploring Beautiful Places” series come in!
In Beautiful Places – Elementary Level
This series is truly Music Adults Love™ and features 4 pieces that are reflective and beautiful, with interesting melodic lines and a mature sound. They are elementary level, but don’t sound elementary in content or dynamics! Each piece provides ample opportunity for students to learn and practice dynamics, expression, tone, and other nuanced techniques that will develop their overall sound.
Here’s a glimpse of each piece, along with helpful information (skip ahead to 2:13 to jump straight to the pieces!)
Here’s where to find each piece in the In Beautiful Places Series (and here’s a link to a discounted bundle). Each is studio-licensed, so you can print the downloadable PDFs as many times as you want for any student you directly teach!
Exploring Beautiful Places – Late Elementary Level
Once your adult students are ready to move up a level, they can explore more music adults love with our new Exploring Beautiful Places Series. These pieces expand on the difficulty level of the In Beautiful Places pieces, and offer the same reflective sound. But these are late elementary level so they include eighth notes.
Here’s a glimpse of each of the three pieces in the “Exploring Beautiful Places” Music Adults Love series.
Here’s where to find each piece in the Exploring Beautiful Places Music Adults Love™ series, though you can get the discounted bundle here.
More Elementary Piano Music Adults Love
We have created a special Music Adults Love™ YouTube playlist and a special all-in-one video (that includes all Music Adults Love™ music up through 10/21) so that you can find music for your adults students more easily. We also have the Student Solutions Catalog, a FREE resource that helps you find music for all sorts of common student problems!
Here is a video that shows excerpts of quite a number of our Music Adults™ love music (but doesn’t include the newest Exploring Beautiful Places series):
Have you used the In Beautiful Places Series or the Exploring Beautiful Places series? What other tips do you have for helping adult beginner piano students to sound more mature? Let us know in the comments!