- Level: Mid Elementary
- Pages: 4 pages, 2 pages of music, cover included!
- Style: Wistful, Hopeful
- Bonus: mp3 performance track + QR code to access recording online
- Format:PDF instant download
When the beauty of nature fills your heart and mind, you feel the awesome mystery of the world’s wonder, and every breath feels like a gift.
What does that sound like musically? Harvest Bounty is a piece that has an ancient and longing quality. The flowing harmonies and wistful dissonances guide the pianist to the end of the piece, which ends hopefully, like a shaft of sunshine breaking through forest leaves.
What level is Harvest Bounty?
Harvest Bounty is a mid elementary piece written in C Major. [Technically, it’s C Mixolydian Flat 6.] The largest interval in this piece is a fifth. The hands begin in C position and cross hand over hand, with one flat that becomes part of an easy-to-spot pattern. Then the hands are in a position that resembles Middle C position.
The smallest note value in Harvest Bounty is the quarter note.The pedal is held for long periods of time and then lifted on rare occasions. This piece represents a good introduction for legato pedaling.
Bonus recording included!
Harvest Bounty comes with a bonus mp3 recording performed by Wendy Stevens. You are permitted to send this example performance track to your students to help them learn the piece.
Plus, a QR code is included on the first page of the PDF (not pictured in the sample) so students can scan the code and it will take them directly to the performance recording of the piece. This can help them be inspired and learn the piece even more effectively without you having to send the mp3 to them!
More About the In Beautiful Places Series:
This piece is part of the In Beautiful Places series that is composed specifically to appeal to teens and adults. “In Beautiful Places” helps students become more proficient outside of hand positions and helps them become better at moving around the keyboard and finding new notes and intervals.
Harvest Bounty is not included in this bundle, but you can get this discounted In Beautiful Places 2 bundle that includes four mid elementary piano solos:
What is the Studio License?
Harvest Bounty is delivered digitally (through your email receipt) and is studio licensed. This means that you can print and use this for any student that you directly teach for your entire lifetime of teaching.
Dixie –
Three things I & my student love about this piece are:
1. The hand crossings give many opportunities to practice that beautiful rainbow arch and lovely drop into the keys as the LH crosses over the right.
2. The famous “Stevens octave repeptitions” which strengthen student’s ability to recognize notes in octaves they aren’t used to playing in, and also familiarizes their hands with octave leaps.
3. The long pedals give a beautiful expressive sound to the music & allow the student to practice their pedal technique without overwhelm.
It’s a beautiful & accessible piece for my elementary level student.
Daniel –
So lovely! Completely accessible for elementary level students. They love that it moves them all over the keyboard. It’s a delightful touch that the major third is saved until the very last note.
Alison –
I have a student who never sits still! He’s always curious, exploring, asking, interrupting, looking around, picking up, putting down and has the sweetest heart! Yesterday was magical as he started to play Harvest Bounty – I could literally see his system regulating itself and watched him get so quiet and calm and enter his own peaceful place to enjoy his music!
Nancy –
Harvest Bounty is a fantastic piece for my teens and adults who don’t progress as quickly, but know their C Position notes (and a little beyond) very well. The satisfying sound and repeating patterns made one teen who doesn’t practice a lot learn this in a week – she came to my studio beaming “I PRACTICED!” I’m so grateful to have found a piece that connects with students.
Mary –
I am using the recent autumn pieces in a recital at a local retirement home. We do this every year. There are so many good ComposeCreate pieces and here’s what we think of them:
The patterns help student move around keyboard early learning ledger line notes.
They don’t get stuck in one position anymore.
The rich chords and dynamic contrasts help them express musicality early in their music study.
They love the mature sound of the pieces even if they are beginners.
Your latest pieces are like a treat for them after they have learned their method songs, scales and technical challenges. These are like the musical icing on their cake!! I’ve never had any music that was as pleasing to learn in the pedagogical sound way you’ve designed them. The students feel they can read the music more effectively as they become progressively harder. The students enjoy the challenge and feel very accomplished in a short time playing your pieces. Parents are impressed with their progress as well.
We appreciate your creativity and look forward to seasonal music for Christmas. We need more!!
Lori –
I love fall, and the latest round of autumn pieces have been very well-received by my students. I can feel confident assigning pieces from Wendy, knowing they will effectively reinforce concepts from the lesson book.
Carol –
Thank you for your new Fall compositions, Wendy. Students come in asking, “May I play Harvest Bounty first?” The happy, fresh sounds of Hayride and Autumn”s Awakening are already favorites. This Fall, I have also included a “library” section (fun reading assignments) in their binders. They have one or two new songs each week, which they love. And most of the music are your compositions. So your Studio Licensing has made that easily attainable. Thank you for all you do for us.
Olivia Campione –
A beautiful piece for a new student who is an older beginner with enough music background to not want little kid stuff. Trying to find her level & what will reach her, & this is a beautiful fall piece for just that.