Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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Pam Wedgwood’s Up Grade! series from Faber Music has been a fixture of the piano education library for many years, and one of her most understandable successes. Based on a simple concept of offering “light relief between the grades”, the books have proved a popular step in the pianist’s development.
Entering the same space, The Willis Music Company have just released a new set of books from Christopher Hussey which give the concept of “between grades” repertoire a welcome update. Junior Performer includes three books, each covering two grades, thus bridging the gaps from Beginner to Grade 5.
Rather boldly describing itself as “The Perfect Resource for Between Piano Grades”, the series clearly has ambitions, and I have already heard from Pianodao readers keen to know how well it succeeds…
First impressions
The Junior Performer books have a smart, contemporary vibe that I immediately found appealing. They share a striking and consistent cover design, the three volumes differentiated by their vivid blue, red, and green images.
Within, the pages (40 in the first book, 48 in the others) are printed on plain white paper. They have recognisable visual hooks to identify content and level throughout, and benefit from well engraved, generously sized notation.
As you will see in this sample page, they also include a watermark image of music, which generally looks classy. But I think it’s problematic that on some pages this actually obscures the main content for those of us experiencing visual challenges. For example, try reading the ‘Challenge’ at the bottom of this sample page:
Who is the series for?
Teachers do well to consider with care which learners any publication will best suit, but here the question is a tricky one. Quoting from the catch-all marketing, we are told that the books are:
“Ideal for both independent learners and teachers looking to support pupils in between grades.”
Based on the presentation and content, my initial impression was that they might equally suit ‘tweenage’, teen, and adult learners. And yet the title seems to pitch the series more specifically towards children, “juniors”, and I wonder whether this is perhaps a missed opportunity, given the quality of the material and potentially much broader appeal.
Meanwhile, the absence of illustrations or any use of spot colour in the books may somewhat reduce their imaginative appeal to younger learners. Nor do I think music publishers should normalise the idea of Junior Performers on first grades learning independently, without the key input of a good teacher.
Before moving on, I should also mention the cost of the books, an eye-watering £16.99 at the time of review. This is twice the £8.50 asking price of the Up Grade! books they compete with, even though those include audio recordings (which Junior Performer doesn’t), and double the number of pieces per grade. Educators are perhaps more cost-conscious than most, and it would be a pity to see these particular books priced out of the market.
Exploring the concept
Subtitled, ‘Piano Pieces & Exercises Between Grades’, the main focus within the books is the music itself. The supporting materials specifically focus on helping the learner develop solid literacy, effective practice strategies, and mastering each piece.
Bearing in mind the effort made to present Junior Performer as the perfect resource to cover the necessary development between graded exams, it is likely that those using the series will want to leverage it as their core learning material. The three books in this series each begins with a full-page series introduction in which Hussey explains,
“Junior Performer is a three-volume series, providing the perfect resource for pupils and teachers between grades. Its aim is simple: enable pianists to transition from one grade to the next in a fun, coherent, and focused manner.”
Hussey goes on to explain that each book is split into two parts, covering necessary learning between one grade and the next. Thus, the three books offer content that bridges the following stated levels:
- Beginner – Initial – Grade 1
- Grade 1 – 2 – 3
- Grade 3 – 4 – 5
To avoid any misunderstanding, I should mention that the books do not include the required scales, arpeggios and chords expected at each level, or content for any particular board’s other support tests.
Exploring the pedagogy
Throughout the three Junior Performer books, each of the included pieces is supported by a scaffolding of finger workouts, theory tips, ‘tech focus’ ideas, and personal ‘challenges’. Let’s unpack these in turn:
Finger Workouts: these appear before each piece, a short exercise for each hand separately, and one for both together. They are derived from the music and fingering patterns found in the following piece, so offer an ideal starting point and practice material.
Theory Tips: these offer simple definitions of the musical signs and terms found in the pieces.
Tech Focus: these take a slightly deeper dive into theory, for example by explaining new time signatures.
Challenge: these identify potential difficulties in a piece, and offer reminders to include the dynamics and articulation as written. Sometimes they also address technical challenges.
Hussey’s Finger Workouts are the standout feature here. Teachers can use these to introduce and consolidate finger patterns, and they are great examples of how to derive bespoke exercise material from the pieces we teach. Learners can use them as examples of how to use ‘chunking’ as a strategy for more effective practice.
Astute readers may already have deduced that Hussey’s approach is driven entirely by written music notation. With its strong emphasis on developing a clear understanding of the printed score (and relying on the given fingering), Junior Performer is a useful tool for working on practical music literacy.
Unfortunately however, listening is not mentioned, and there are no aural activities. Nor are learners encouraged to experiment, improvise, or develop their musical imagination and interpretation. In the first book especially, I would have welcomed some fun duets too, and I am sure that Hussey would excel in producing such material.
I suspect children using the ‘Beginner to Grade 1’ volume in the series alongside a colourful, modern method book may find Junior Performer rather dry. The pity here is that the “challenge” tips could so easily have encouraged a more creative, musically engaged, and holistic approach to learning.
Exploring the music
Hussey has previously proved his arranging chops with numerous ‘easy’ pop collections, entries in Chester Music’s Making the Grade series, and the popular Gradebusters books which I have reviewed here, and which I would argue deliver some of the best material of their kind.
For this series, Hussey turns to arrangements of folk tunes, popular classics and lesser-known gems from the piano literature. And predictably, given his previous success in this field, they are very good.
Here’s the full listing (all are based on traditional melodies, except where composers are named):
Book One: Beginner – Grade 1
- Long, Long Ago (Bayly)
- When the Saints go Marching in
- Sur le Pont d’Avignon
- Barcarolle (Offenbach)
- A-tisket, A-tasket
- Lavender’s Blue
- Noël Nouvelet
- Donkey Riding
- Scarborough Fair
- Morning Mood (Grieg)
- Winds Through the Olive Trees
- Simple Gifts (Brackett Jr.)
- Sarabande (Handel)
- Water in the Moonlight (Wiggins)
- Magnoias (Dett)
- Étude (Farrenc)
Book Two: Grade 1 – Grade 3
- The Sewing Machine (Bonis)
- Arabesque (Lang)
- The Water is Wide
- September (Hensel)
- In Dulci Jubilo
- Galop (Casella)
- In the Hall of the Mountain King (Grieg)
- Für Elise (Beethoven)
- Autumn (Vivaldi)
- Nocturne (Farrenc)
- The New Doll (Tchaikovsky)
- Romance (Beach)
- La Cucaracha
- The Entertainer (Joplin)
Book Three: Grade 3 – Grade 5
- Waltzing Matilda
- Pastime with Good Company
- Amazing Grace
- Regret (Taki)
- Symphony No.40 (Mozart)
- Flores de Romana (Rosas)
- D’un Jardin Clair (L. Boulanger)
- Sumer Is Icumen In
- Shenandoah
- Vocalise (Rachmaninov)
- Pavane (Fauré)
- Maple Leaf Rag (Joplin)
According to Hussey,
“Each book contains a selection of popular classical and traditional music, meticulously graded to support the progressive development of your piano-playing technique through enjoyable repertoire.”
As always, those considering using this or any other material as a source for “own choice” pieces in graded exams should remember that benchmarking is never an exact science. While the music in Junior Performer often hits the right spot in terms of level, I have to admit to a few doubts.
For example, the pieces which bridge the gap between Grade 1 to Grade 2 are all in Grade 1 keys, with just one sharp or flat. None are in the Grade 2 keys of D and A major, or G minor (ABRSM), B flat major, or B minor (Trinity). As such, they can hardly be said to properly prepare learners for the Grade 2 requirements, which seems to me a genuine problem in terms of the basic rationale for the series.
Conversely, some of the arrangements presented in the Grade 2 to Grade 3 section would be considered too long or difficult for inclusion in the Grade 3 syllabus. Again, given the general brilliance on display, I am surprised that Hussey did not adapt these more closely to the requirements of the level.
Aside from niggles about levels and progression, the combination of exciting, diverse repertoire choices and well-crafted arrangements ensure that these books offer quality material. I have no doubt that those who invest in them for additional repertoire will enjoy learning and playing this music.
Lasting impressions…
When Junior Performer arrived for review, I had the highest of hopes. The combination of concept, music arranger, and publisher seemed a dream team guaranteed success.
One can wonder what might have been, and the series disappoints on some levels. Nevertheless. the combination of likeable, progressive pieces, and helpful practice support ultimately makes Junior Performer an interesting and useful addition to the catalogue.
Christopher Hussey has an impressive resumé as a composer, arranger, and orchestrator. The musical excellence of his new arrangements here reaffirms his undoubted knack for delivering highly playable and enjoyable piano arrangements, suitable for the developing pianist.
Teaching experience is notably absent from Hussey’s CV however, and this perhaps explains why the Junior Performer series rather lacks the educational focus found in publications from more experienced education leaders. The pedagogy shortcomings are something of an Achilles heel for those relying on this series as core learning content, but that should not put us off using these books for supplemental material.
These books will be especially useful with secondary-age pupils, in particular to address literacy and fingering technique issues, and as one element within a broader creative and musical curriculum. Admittedly, I would be more likely to propose the books were they less expensive!
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