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Hi there, I am currently working towards making an application to do an MA in music therapy. I have to record three pieces - two contrasting pieces and one singing piece accompanying myself.

My first is Liszt's Consolation No.3, my singing piece will be Dream a little dream but I'm stuck on my third. I am a grade 8 pianist, but I passed the exam 20 years ago, with not much piano playing in between, so I'm rapidly trying to get up to scratch with everything, but with a new baby, it's hard to keep up. So I need something that sounds good, but not too too hard, grade 6/7 level, and something jazzy and fun - oh, and something I can learn between now and September.

Would be great to hear some suggestions.
Thanks

Chris Norton has some great pieces in his Jazz Preludes book. My favorite is Latinate, I also like Tie Break and Chicken Feed. He's written a lot, so check out some of his other books as well.

Mark Hayes did a ragtime version of the gospel tune "I'll Fly Away" which is very entertaining and doable in this time frame. I assume that arrangements are acceptable for this audition, but you may want to check on that first.

Eugenie Rocherolle has written some great jazzy pieces. Also Martha Mier has a book series Jazz, Rags, and Blues and I'm sure you could find something in there in Book 5, but I'm not sure it may be too easy.

One of Scott Joplin's rags perhaps? Though my teacher always says rag time is harder than it looks of course ...

The Gershwin preludes are probably a bit too hard for what you are aiming for but worth looking at.

I thought about both of those, but I think they are too hard considering the time the OP has and what they're asking to play. I think Joplin is higher than grade 6/7 and very time-consuming.

How about Paul Sheftel's "Not Fur Elise"? It's a 2-page uptempo blues riff on you-know-what. You could learn it easily in about a week, and the interview team would get a kick out of it.

thanks so much for all your replies - will be looking into them later - I've been totally stumped, so looking forward to having a listen...the video I need to send in for my application is to show them a certain level of musicianship - but they are looking for flexibility as well - and ultimately a lot more qualities than just being a good pianist, so hopefully I'll choose the right piece.

This is tough to answer. I like the Joplin rag idea, but it depends on your strengths and your sightreading. I can learn a Joplin rag in a couple days, but stride bass and improvisation are strengths of mine.

Can you go as far as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, or do you need to stay a little more "classical mainstream"?

Would you say you're a good sightreader? What technical skills would you say are your strongest suits?

I wouldn't say that sightreading is my strong point at all. I am someone that needs to repeat over and over again to get it sounding right/ good.
The college only says they need two contrasting pieces - so I'm taking from that, that anything goes - the Liszt piece is serious, slow, dreamy and classical - so anything that's not that would probably work!

A couple of other options:

Debussy's Golliwogg's Cakewalk from Children's Corner could be a good contrast, at about the right difficulty level.

Aaron Copland's The Cat and the Mouse (Scherzo Humoristique) could be another possibility.


(Background: I came back after a 20 year break last year, and found both pieces to be possible to pick up in 4-6 weeks. I'm at about the same Liszt difficulty level right now as Consolation #3.)

Hmm.. okay, we can work with that. When you learn a piece, do you run through the whole thing time after time until it's learned, or do you break it down my measure/phrase? (Will help decide what length of piece to narrow down to.)

I'm leaning towards a Narcissus or perhaps a Solace, but there are a few other fun candidates. How long did it take you to learn the consolation?

+1. Up-tempo, lots of energy and joy.

. Charles

thanks again - will have a listen.

When I learn a piece, I start off trying to do the whole thing and then iron out the difficult bars when I realise I'm just fluffing them!

It's hard to say how long it took me to learn consolation as I first learnt it 20 years ago and I'm relearning it now - but it's not quick - I've got two little ones (one only 7 months) and we've just moved house, so not loads of time to practice, but I'm so determined to get onto the course, I do spend a lot of evenings practicing.

What are Narcissus and Solace?

___

Hi - I'm having trouble finding a recording of Paul Sheftel, Not Fur Elise - does anyone have a link to it so I can hear it - I am so intrigued!
Thanks

Wow - I just found it (not Fur Elise) - it's very cool.
Now, anyone know where I can find the sheet music?

I think it's published by Alfred in a set of pieces called Paul's Practical Piano Pieces. For a music therapy program don't bother learning anything as tough as Golliwog's Cakewalk. No need, imo. They'd prefer you to improvise 60 seconds of blues to that, I imagine.

Narcissus is the 4th of 5 pieces in Ethelbert Nevin's "Water Scenes": http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/d/d5/IMSLP08897-Nevin_-_Op.13_-_Water_Scenes.pdf

A really fun piece to play. I love it.

This is not a great interpretation, but at least you can hear it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNm-IhQ_h08


The particular Solace I was thinking of is by Scott Joplin, one of his easier pieces (IMO).

Score: http://conquest.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/a/ab/IMSLP05476-Joplin_-_Solace.pdf
Recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOwachalNNw

A little slower in places than I usually take it, but it's a decent take.

Coincidentally enough, I was humming this when I came across your post

I'm half-right, or out of date. The fun intermediate-level blues collection called "Paul's Practical Piano Pieces" was published by Alfred (US) in the 1980s, then went out of print, and was picked up later by Carl Fischer Publishers (US). I don't see it listed on the Fischer website for some reason, but it should still be available.

Thanks - will give it a go, but if I can't find it, is there anything else?
I think the Debussy might be a bit tricky - or is it?

I've seen a number of references to it saying about grade 8 level so probably quite a bit harder than you want. However, Magrath's "bible" (that would be "The Pianist's Guide To Standard Teaching and Performance Literature" rates it about an 8 which for her means more like grade 7. Of course, everything's relative to what you've done as has been mentioned before.