Original Compositions - PAGE 5
Maxim Gorky gives teachers the best guide for writing music for children -- You must write for children in the same way as you do for adults, only better. I hope you will find the compositions on this page interesting, musical and something that is appealing to both children and adults.
Old King Cole
Coming from 18th century Britain is an elementary setting to the popular nursery rhyme Old King Cole. It's composed as a song so the student knows exactly what they are expressing. The little rhyme gives students a chance to develop the necessary skill of expressing a lyric through the piano.
ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS - PAGE 4
VAMP!
The Wanderings of Autumn's Leaves
Love Awaits the Lady in Waiting
Prelude in A major
My Roaming Thoughts
ORIGINAL COMPOSITIONS - PAGE 5
Old King Cole
Concert Gigue Chromatique
Little Miss Muffet
The Queen of Hearts
Concert Gigue Chromatique
This lively, late elementary/early intermediate composition, is in standard 6/8 time (here written in 6/4 for student simplification), typical of a jig, but it is cast in a more modern flavor. One of the teaching features of this piece is the use of descending chromatic chords. It makes for a good technical challenge for the intermediate piano student. This piece also features a lot of double notes that are important for young students to master as they advance in their technical facility. Great recital piece or for Guild Auditions.
Little Miss Muffet
I composer a little tune to the popular Nursery Rhyme - Little Miss Muffet. I originally wrote this for my pre-school classes where student would dramatize the actions of the lyrics to the music. I made the music simple enough for a music teacher with minimal piano skills and I think it's simple enough for a young elementary/intermediate piano student to learn how to express a lyric through the piano. When you teach this piece; teach the students to express the emotions expressed in the lyrics. This is a great little piece to teach students to be emotionally expressive in their playing.
The Queen of Hearts
The Queen of Hearts is another catchy little melody I composed for my pre-school music class - Dan, Dan the Music Man. Students dramatized the actions of this popular Nursery Rhyme while a chorus of onlookers sang the melody. We always had great fun responding to music through drama. Play this piece with great joy. One may look at this piece as a little staccato etude written in two part writing. It's a great piece for developing a strong staccato touch.
