Gayle Kowalchyk

I tagged it with "theory" because I'm using this book to teach a young student about 12-bar blues. The pieces are repetitive, and as supplemental repertoire, I don't think I'd give it a 4-star rating. But, considering how I'm using the book, I like the repetitive quality because it makes the structure of the piece so visible. Maybe that was the purpose of the excessive repetition? Yesterday, I analyzed one of the pieces (Big City Blues) with one of my students - in a superficial way. We just labeled all of the measures that were exactly the same. He was thrilled to realize that he only had 4 measures of music to learn in order to play the vast majority of a 2-page piece. He'll have learned to play it by next week, and then we'll talk more about the 12-bar blues harmonic progression. I'll let him play it for another week, polishing up the details of dynamics and such while being aware of the harmonic structure, and then the third week, I'll assign him to write his own blues piece.

This piece moves the student around on the keyboard between primary chord 5-finger positions, but is accessible for a student who has had a year of piano. There are lots of sharps and flats to facilitate learning to play those.… (mais)

Book has several activity pages for reinforcing note-reading and theory concepts. All pictures are in black and white outline, suitable for coloring. Each piece has a teacher duet. Challenges for the first year student include a flat in one piece, eighth notes in one piece, and hands together (easy) in one piece. My biggest problem with this book is that the entire collection is in "Middle C Position." If students are capable of playing eighth notes and flats, they should be challenged to use different fingers on different notes.… (mais)

The notes are larger than standard, and the carols are spread out over two pages. I find that I have to draw a dividing line with a highlighter between the music lines to make it easier for the child to read. I almost wonder if it would be better to use smaller print so that the child can more easily see the shape of the music. All pieces are in C or Middle C position. Some may consider this a plus, but I find it a drawback as I prefer to have the child move around the keyboard right from the start. Another issue - every note is labeled with the note name. Personally, I find this a drawback, not an advantage. Rhythms include eighth notes and dotted quarters. There's also flat in one piece - these things necessitate some by-rote playing. There are teacher duets for every carol.
Away in A Manger
Good King Wenceslas
Jingle Bells
Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
Silent Night
Up on the Housetop
We Three Kings of Orient Are
We Wish You A Merry Christmas… (mais)