Anna Robinson – Pianodao

Pooches at the Piano

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

The slower pace of the summer break is a great time to catch up with music that has been waiting patiently in my review backlog, and this week I have been enjoying the elementary to intermediate pieces in the latest book from Anna Robinson, the fabulously named Pooches at the Piano.

You may remember Anna Robinson from my previous reviews of her intermediate collection Notes from a Neighbourhood (read the review) and easier Cats on the Keys (reviewed here). The new Pooches at the Piano offers a progressive selection of compositions that are suitable from Grades 0 – 3.

A British-born pianist and teacher now based in Melbourne, Australia, her pieces are inspired by the legacy of the great Walter Carroll, and as he did a century or so ago, she writes imaginative tunes that are as rich in pedagogic content as they are inspiring to play.

Pooches at the Piano can be seen as a companion volume to Cats on the Keys, and as with that collection it is inspired in part by her own pet pooch, Lily, who is featured in the photograph above, admiring the book.

For me, one of the highlights of Notes on a Neighbourhood was the opening piece Dizzy Dog, which was dedicated to Lily, “who loves to roly-poly to chromatic scales”. It’s great to have a whole collection with a canine theme, so let’s find out more…

Anna Robinson: Cats on the Keys

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Cats on the Keys is a new collection of sixteen character pieces for piano, designed to be appealing and relatable to the 21st century piano student.

Composed by Melbourne-based piano teacher Anna Robinson (whose Notes on a Neighbourhood I reviewed here) the book is vividly presented and would suit elementary players at around UK Grade 0-2 level.

Before turning to the publication, which is available in the UK from Forsyth Music, I am pleased to mention that the composer has generously provided a FREE piece for Pianodao readers to download and play; the score is here:

DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE PIECE

And now here’s my review of the whole collection…

Anna Robinson: Notes on a Neighbourhood

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Back in January of this year I received, out of the blue, a music book produced by Melbourne, Australia-based composer and teacher Anna Robinson, together with a charming letter of introduction. Notes on a Neighbourhood features seven late-intermediate character pieces.

It isn’t unusual for me to receive unexpected material from those who have enjoyed reading my reviews here and are naturally keen to see their work featured, but to be honest I often find that self-published music falls short of making a significant impression on me. As a published composer myself, I have learnt the value that a good editor can bring into the equation, and it is usually obvious when that added-value is missing.

Not so in the case of Notes on a Neighbourhood, which has been burning a hole on my music stand ever since it arrived, the pieces within continuing to impress with their musical and pedagogic content.

With a little encouragement from me, and a lot of work from Anna, Robinson’s book is now available as a physical publication here in the UK, printed by Halstan, and stocked for mail order purchase by Forsyth’s in Manchester here.

So what’s the story?