This series answers the often-expressed need for a variety of supplementary material in many different popular styles. What could be more fun for an adult than to play the music that everybody knows and loves? When the books in the Greatest Hits series are assigned in conjunction with the Lesson Books, these appealing pieces reinforce new concepts as they are introduced. In addition, the motivation the music provides could not be better. The emotional satisfaction students receive from mastering each popular song increases their enthusiasm to begin the next one. With the popular music available in the Greatest Hits series (Levels 1 and 2), the use of both books will significantly increase every adult's interest in piano study. Two selections from this book are featured on the Royal Conservatory of Music Popular Selection List (2007 Ed.): * The Rainbow Connection * Nadia's Theme

This title examines not only other writers' works with a critical eye, but also breaks boundaries in Simic's exploration of the outer and inner reaches of the human condition. Included here are essays on April Bernard, Robinson Jeffers, Donald Justice, Pablo Neruda, Gerald Stern, Richard Wilson, and more.

This comprehensive approach to functional musicianship at the keyboard includes varied repertoire, theory, technique, sight-reading, harmonization from lead sheets, ear training and ensembles. Great for college non-music majors, continuing education classes, music dealer in-store programs and group piano classes at the middle and high school levels. Book 1 contains 15 units each with a variety of repertoire, exercises, unit review worksheets and an assignment page.

A piano course for beginners of all ages. Alfred's Basic Piano Library offers 4 complete beginning piano methods that use the same eclectic reading approach (with a focus on intervals). However, the grading, songs, illustrations, covers and names of the courses are all different.

The second book in The Graded Piano Player series offers popular repertoire for pianists at ABRSM Grades 2--3 and is filled with classic tunes and songs from Disney, TV and film, jazz, pop, and musical theater. Each piece has been rigorously researched, edited, and fingered by top educationalists and meticulously arranged to progress in line with the ABRSM and Trinity graded piano examinations. Ideal for anyone seeking well-crafted arrangements of tunes they love--for leisure, exams, and to use as fun and technical repertoire between grades.

The memory feats of famous musicians seem almost superhuman. Can such extraordinary accomplishments be explained by the same principles that account for more ordinary, everyday memory abilities? To find out, a concert pianist videotaped her practice as she learned a new piece for performance, the third movement, Presto, of the Italian Concerto by J.S. Bach. The story of how the pianist went about learning, memorizing and polishing the piece is told from the viewpoints of the pianist (the second author) and of a cognitive psychologist (the first author) observing the practice. The counterpoint between these insider and outsider perspectives is framed by the observations of a social psychologist (the third author) about how the two viewpoints were reconciled. The CD that accompanies the book provides for yet another perspective, allowing the reader to hear the polished performance. Written for both psychologists and musicians, the book provides the first detailed description of how an experienced pianist organizes her practice, identifying stages of the learning process, characteristics of expert practice, and practice strategies. The main focus, however, is on memorization. An analysis of what prominent pianists of the past century have said about memorization reveals considerable disagreement and confusion. Using previous work on expert memory as a starting point, the authors show how principles of memory developed by cognitive psychologists apply to musical performance and uncover the intimate connection between memorization and interpretation.

This innovative study examines the role of memory in the history of theatre and drama. Favorini analyzes issues of memory in self-construction, collective memory, the clash of memory and history and even explores what the work of cognitive scientists can teach us about brain function and our response to drama.

The most highly acclaimed jazz piano method ever published! Over 300 pages with complete chapters on Intervals and triads, The major modes and II-V-I, 3-note voicings, Sus. and phrygian Chords, Adding notes to 3-note voicings, Tritone substitution, Left-hand voicings, Altering notes in left-hand Stride and Bud Powell voicings, Block chords, Comping ...and much more! Endorsed by Kenny Barron, Down Beat, Jamey Aebersold, etc.

Suzanne Farrrell Smith's father was killed by a drunk driver when she was six, and a devastating fire nearly destroyed her house when she was eight. She remembers those two--and only those two--events from her first nearly twelve years of life. Her entire childhood was, seemingly, erased. In The Memory Sessions, Smith attempts to excavate lost childhood memories. Rather than recount a childhood, this memoir creates one from research, archives, imagination, and the memories of others.