Piano School

The New International Edition of Suzuki Piano School, Volume 1 includes French, German and Spanish translations as well as a newly recorded CD performed by internationally renowned recording artist Seizo Azuma. Now the book and CD can be purchased together or separately. While the music selections in Volume 1 remain the same as the earlier edition, the spacious new engraving with minimal editing generally keeps only one piece per page. Instruction material in many pieces from Volume 1 has been removed in lieu of right-hand studies at the top of the page and left-hand studies at the bottom. Tempo markings are now included on many pieces. Titles: "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" Variations (Shinichi Suzuki) * Lightly Row (German Folk Song) * The Honeybee (Bohemian Folk Song) * Cuckoo (German Folk Song) * Lightly Row (German Folk Song) * French Children's Song (French Folk Song) * London Bridge (English Folk Song) * Mary Had a Little Lamb (American Nursery Song) * Go Tell Aunt Rhody (Folk Song) * Au Clair de la Lune (J. B. Lully) * Long, Long Ago (T. H. Bayly) * Little Playmates (F. X. Chwatal) * Chant Arabe (Anonymous) * Allegretto 1 (C. Czerny) * Goodbye to Winter (Folk Song) * Allegretto 2 (C. Czerny) * Christmas-Day Secrets (T. Dutton) * Allegro (S. Suzuki) * Musette (Anonymous). The International editions include an updated title page that designates the book as the International Edition.

Newly revised introduction and foreword and newly recorded CD by Seizo Azuma.

Piano Lessons is Noah Adams's delightful and moving chronicle of his fifty-second year--a year already filled with long, fast workdays and too little spare time--as he answers at last a lifelong call: to learn to play the piano. The twelve monthly chapters span from January--when after decades of growing affection for keyboard artists and artisans he finally plunges in and buys a piano--through December, when as a surprise Christmas present for his wife he dresses in a tuxedo and, in flickering candlelight, snow falling outside the windows, he attempts their favorite piece of music, a difficult third-year composition he's been struggling with in secret to get to this very moment. Among the up-tempo triumphs and unexpected setbacks, Noah Adams interweaves the rich history and folklore that surround the piano. And along the way, set between the ragtime rhythms and boogie-woogie beats, there are encounters with--and insights from--masters of the keyboard, from Glenn Gould and Leon Fleisher ("I was a bit embarrassed," he writes; "telling Leon Fleisher about my ambitions for piano lessons is like telling Julia Child about plans to make toast in the morning") to Dr. John and Tori Amos. As a storyteller, Noah Adams has perfect pitch. In the foreground here, like a familiar melody, are the challenges of learning a complex new skill as an adult, when enthusiasm meets the necessary repetition of tedious scales at the end of a twelve-hour workday. Lingering in the background, like a subtle bass line, are the quiet concerns of how we spend our time and how our priorities shift as we proceed through life. For Piano Lessons is really an adventure story filled with obstacles to overcome and grand leaps forward, eccentric geniuses and quiet moments of pre-dawn practice, as Noah Adams travels across country and keyboard, pursuing his dream and keeping the rhythm.

The award-winning, much-loved memoir of renowned author and musician Anna Goldsworthy about her first steps towards a life in music. In this remarkable story, Anna Goldsworthy recalls her journey from childhood piano lessons with a local jazz muso to a successful career as a concert pianist. As she discovers passion and ambition, and confronts doubt and disappointment, she learns about much more than technique. Piano Lessons captures the hopes and uncertainties of youth, the fear and exhilaration of performing, and the complex bonds between teacher and student. An unforgettable cast of characters joins her: her family; her friends and rivals; and her teacher, Mrs Sivan, who inspires and challenges her in equal measure, and who transforms what seems an impossible dream into something real and sustaining. This is a story of the getting of wisdom, tender and bittersweet. 'I loved this book. Anna Goldsworthy's memoir left me awed, inspired and humbled.' --Alice Pung 'Marvellous. Enlightenment and joy on every page' --Helen Garner 'An expertly spun narrative, told with wry, self-effacing charm, elegant economy and the genuine love of a student for her teacher' The Australian 'A brilliant memoir ... Goldsworthy is a fine writer.' Big Issue Winner of Newcomer of the Year in the 2010 Australian Book Industry Awards Shortlisted for the Melbourne Prize for Best Writing Shortlisted for the Colin Roderick Award Shortlisted in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards

"A rare and exquisite story . . . Transports you out of time, out of place, into a world you can feel on your very skin." —Elizabeth Gilbert The New York Times bestseller Janice Y.K. Lee's latest novel, The Expatriates, is now available from Penguin In the sweeping tradition of The English Patient, Janice Y.K. Lee's debut novel is a tale of love and betrayal set in war-torn Hong Kong. In 1942, Englishman Will Truesdale falls headlong into a passionate relationship with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. But their affair is soon threatened by the invasion of the Japanese as World War II overwhelms their part of the world. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton comes to Hong Kong to work as a piano teacher and also begins a fateful affair. As the threads of this spellbinding novel intertwine, impossible choices emerge-between love and safety, courage and survival, the present, and above all, the past.

The Beginner Guitar Lessons for Kids Book with Online Video & Audio access by Jay Wamsted is designed to help the absolute beginning student learn to play the guitar. This step-by-step course is designed for elementary school-aged children (ages 5-11) and quickly teaches the student to play songs they will know and love. This method includes online access to video instruction that will help the child play with proper form and timing. The video shows the guitar, both hands, and the sheet music on-screen at the same time. The audio tracks allow the student to practice and play along with easy songs. The combination of book, video, and audio make this the easiest to understand guitar course for kids available.

From the very first lessons in Book 1, students are making music as they explore the piano keyboard through fun improvisation pieces called My Own Song. The beginning of the book introduces finger numbers, the black-key and white-key groups, and basic rhythm patterns. Directional reading is taught first by finger number, then by note name, and then by interval (stop, skip, and repeat). Once the students are introduced to the staff, they learn reading guides Bass F and Treble G and read by interval in several different hand positions.

The Suzuki Method(R) of Talent Education is based on Dr. Shinichi Suzuki's view that every child is born with ability, and that man is the son of his environment. According to Dr. Suzuki, a world-renowned violinist and teacher, the greatest joy an adult can know comes from developing a child's potential so he/she can express all that is harmonious and best in human beings. Students are taught using the "mother-tongue" approach. Suzuki Violin School materials include: Violin Parts (Vol. 1-10) * Piano Accompaniments (Vol. 1-10) * Cassettes (Vol. 1-3 performed by Shinichi Suzuki, Vol. 4-8 performed by Koji Toyoda) * Compact Discs (Vol. 5-8, performed by Koji Toyoda) * David Cerone Performs Suzuki Violin School (Cassettes & Compact Discs, Vol. 1-4) * David Nadien Performs Suzuki Violin School (Cassettes and Compact Discs, Vol. 1-4). Suzuki Method Core Materials available for piano, violin, viola, cello, string bass, flute, harp, guitar, and recorder. This title is available in SmartMusic.