Faber Music – Pianodao

The Mindful Piano Anthology

Pianodao Music Library
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales

The Faber Music Piano Anthology series now extends to more than a dozen titles, many of which I have positively reviewed here.

The books have many strengths (not least their formidable spines, which, as I have previously noted, seem built to withstand the force needed to keep them open in use!). But perhaps the series’ greatest strength is Faber’s knack of combining the familiar with the new, ensuring that each successive title offers something for everyone.

The latest addition to this popular series is The Faber Music Mindful Piano Anthology, which as the book’s subtitle suggests, offers:

“A selection of peaceful and relaxing pieces for intermediate piano solo.”

As usual, the book contains many surprises…

Paul Harris: Play with Rhythm!

Educational Resources
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales

While Pianodao has featured several books and series by my friend Paul Harris (you can explore my other reviews here), I can only scratch the surface of the more than 500 publications already to his name.

Harris’s latest looks set to become another classic, a standout publication that superbly fills a gap many of us didn’t quite realise existed.

Play with Rhythm! is billed as “a workbook for developing a sense of pulse, rhythm, and counting”, suitable for musicians of any instrument or genre, and can be used in individual or group lessons, or on your own at home. According to the publishers Faber Music,

“Suitable for players of Grade 2 (Elementary) level upwards, this practical workbook takes students step by step through a series of simple activities that will develop a real understanding of rhythm and awareness of pulse.”

Having perused a draft some months ago, and now the finished product, I think that this winning publication will quickly establish itself as an essential resource, so let’s take a closer look.

The LOTR Piano Anthology

Pianodao Music Library
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales

Faber Music have now been producing their series of deluxe piano anthologies for around a decade, with one or two new titles appearing each year, each volume generally bringing together an eclectic but appealing mix of music grouped around a specific theme: Christmas, Jazz Standards, Women Composers, and so on.

You can explore my reviews of the series here.

A previous title in the series broke the usual pattern by focusing on a specific movie series. The Harry Potter Piano Anthology was produced in association with the US publishers Alfred Music, who own the rights and arrangements, and in my review of that title, I concluded that it was “an exceptional publication which is unlikely to disappoint”.

Revisiting that partnership, Faber Music now bring us The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Piano Anthology, again in partnership with Alfred. The cover announces that the book includes:

“The best-loved themes from Howard Shore’s landmark scores along with other featured songs, arranged for intermediate piano solo.”

The anthology is as lavishly presented as ever, and likely to tempt all those who appreciate Shore’s superb movie scores, so let’s take a look…

Music Teaching for Special Educational Needs

The Pianodao Bookshelf
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales

Faber Music continue to produce outstanding books to support instrumental teachers, the latest of which is Music Teaching for Special Educational Needs: a guide for instrumental teachers, written by David Baker. According to the publishers,

”This comprehensive guide provides a solid foundation for teachers wanting to understand and support music students with additional needs. It covers dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder and visual, auditory and physical disabilities, and is packed with up-to-date information, helpful pedagogical starting points, case studies, practical advice, ideas for reflective practice and further reading.”

This is undoubtedly a timely book, and one which promises to usefully fill a significant gap in the market for an accessible introduction to these topics, so let’s take a closer look from a piano teaching perspective…

Piano Player • Anime

Pianodao Music Library
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales

Faber Music’s Piano Player series has been a welcome success of recent years, each handsome collection in the growing set showcasing the distinctive artwork of Edward Bawden (1903-1989) while offering an appealing variety of music within.

For information about previous titles, read my reviews here.

The cycle appeared to run its course with the release of all titles originally announced, but now enters a new era with two new collections. These no longer sport Bawden’s artwork, but otherwise retain the series aesthetic.

Likely to be particularly popular, Piano Player: Anime curates nineteen themes from Japanese anime soundtracks, arranged for solo piano…

Lang Lang Piano Book 2

Pianodao Music Library
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales

The Lang Lang Piano Book is undoubtedly one of the music publishing landmarks of recent years, a collection of inspiring pieces for advancing players selected by the classical superstar in part because of the joy many of them added to his own musical learning as a child. Now available as the paperback Encore Edition, I have reviewed it here in depth.

Following the success of the original publication and CD double album, a sequel was perhaps commercially inevitable, and is now here. Lang Lang Piano Book 2 delivers another 30 piano pieces, both as a recorded album from Deutsche Grammophon (CD, vinyl, download, streaming), and as a Faber Music piano anthology.

We are told that for this second installment the pianist has included “a rich blend of playable classics alongside neoclassical pieces and music from film, pop and video games”, marking something of a departure from the first collection. So let’s investigate further…

Bluey: First Ever Piano Book

Educational Resources
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales

Since its launch in 2018, the Australian animated series Bluey has conquered the pre-school world, while winning multiple awards, critical acclaim, and praise for its positive messages, wholesome family values, and focus on playful childhood learning.

Created and written by Joe Brumm, Bluey has spawned a stage show, video game, upcoming feature length movie, and an avalanche of merchandising that includes toys, books, an album of music from the show, and now the Bluey First Ever Piano Book, written by the show’s music supervisor and composer Joff Bush, and published by Faber Music.

Bluey front cover and sample pages NEW with logos — Bluey First Ever Piano Book

The Bluey First Ever Piano Book is, like the television show, aimed at pre-school children, designed for early informal learning without an instructor, and for shared enjoyment by children with their parents. As Faber put it,

“This book is for beginners to play with their favourite grown-up. No musical know-how is required. You’ll be helped along the way by Busker (AKA Bluey composer, Joff Bush). Have fun making Bluey music magic together!”

Bluey First Ever Piano Book is unlike anything I have previously reviewed, so I began by watching a few episodes of the show (purely for research purposes, of course). But as a piano educator, what’s my opinion of the book?

The Winter Piano Anthology

Pianodao Music Library
Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales

The Faber Music Piano Anthology series of deluxe bumper books have proven one of the popular publishing successes of recent years, and certainly these robust collections combine excellent value for money with a compelling mix of piano music for late intermediate to advanced players.

With more than a dozen titles now in the series, the anthologies cover a wide range of musical styles and tastes. Some home in on specific genres, such as pop ballads, jazz standards, and piano duets, while others mix core and lesser-known classics, piano arrangements, and relaxed contemporary solos.

For a look at previous titles, you can explore the series here, but let’s now turn to the latest addition, a seasonal chilled Winter Piano Anthology…