This Â"show-offÂ" recital piece will have you stomping your feet! Even though the tempo is Â"with a driving rhythm; even eighthsÂ" the R.H. is very syncopated while the L.H. maintains a steady 4 beat rhythmic figure for the most part. This faster-than-ragtime piece uses the full range of the keyboard and requires frequent hand shifts, but is really fun to play and well worth the challenge.

Elementary Level. Kevin adds his special touch to the 11 familiar Christmas songs that are mostly two pages with minimal hands-together playing. These carefully leveled yet accessible arrangements include lyrics and teacher accompaniments. Students will enjoy playing these famous carols. Titles include: Up On the Housetop; O Come, O Come, Emmanuel; It Came Upon the Midnight Clear and others.

Late intermediate piece for 2 pianos.

An energetic, swinging toccata that develops technical skills with repeated notes. The piece is very syncopated throughout and requires a hand that plays octaves comfortably. Students and teachers alike will enjoy this upbeat pieceÂ- itÂ's really fun to play and quite an attention grabber!

A collection of single-position duets for beginning students, starting on either black keys or white keys, accompanied by the teachers or a more advanced student.

This dynamic yet lyrical solo evokes the majesty and grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. In the key of D Major that later modulates to F Major, a sixteenth note is the underlying pulse throughout this piece in 3/8 meter. Both hands span an octave for the majority of the piece, and voicing the top note of the chords brings out the melodic line.

This exciting new series will unlock your studentÂ's imagination as they learn, play and perform these fun original solos! Six of the ten pieces are two pages in length; four are three pages long. Three have optional teacher/ sibling duet parts, and even sound great without them. Accidentals are usedÂ-no key signatures. Sure to be popular with boys and girls alike, all pieces are suitable for programming.

Book 2 packs a punch with nine original solos that are fun to practice, play and perform! Students will want to play every piece in this interesting and varied collection.

This duo contains a series of modern variations to one of Beethoven's most simple, yet haunting themes-his Allegretto movement of the Seventh Symphony. Kevin Olson transforms this movement using a variety of contemporary stylesÂ-ranging from impressionism, to jazz, to atonality. While each "impression" has a distinct personality, many melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic ties maintain Beethoven's original ideas. Enjoy tackling this challenging tribute to one of Beethoven's greatest melodies!

For Kevin Olson, colors suggest specific moods and emotions: red is energetic; orange is joyful; blue is peaceful; yellow is happy; green is balanced; indigo is intuitive; and violet is inspirational. This imaginative collection in a modern improvisational style includes three titles that have been chosen as NFMC 2014-2016 selections.

What a fun book for lovers of four-hand music! Following the success of the In the Key of Jazz solo books, Olson and McLean team up again with a great new set of original jazz duets, with styles ranging from swing to Cuban salsa, and a gorgeous new ballad, Alone in a Crowd. The Â"call and answerÂ" riffs float between the second and primo parts in an improvisatory manner using jazz idioms such as barrelhouse blues and walking bass. The syncopations will sharpen your studentsÂ' rhythmic and ensemble skills. Titles include: Da Blooz; Groove Town; ThatÂ's What; Ode to the Bass Player; and Habana Vieja.

Your students will love playing this piece because the rhythm is so fun! There are no eighth notes so syncopations occur with tied quarter notes. A cheerful piece where hands are positionalÂ-L.H. in D/Dm and R.H. in C/CmÂ-and accidentals are used. ItÂ's a great Â"stand aloneÂ" sheet (i.e. no duet or lyrics)Â-a perfect performance piece!

Steady, machine-like sounds animate this rhythmic piece, which features staccato and accented notes. Great for small (but clever) hands since the motif is an interval of a fifth. This piece appeals to all, but could be a Â"pupil saverÂ" for some boys in your studio. Impressive sounding, very percussiveÂ-audiences will appreciate this powerful performance piece.

Introduces students to the joy of composing their own music.

Introduces students to the joy of composing their own music. Continuation of Book 1.

A series that introduces students to the joy of composing their own music. Continuation of the series.

A composition workbook. Continuation of series.

Elementary/Late Elementary
This fabulous book is full of well-known songs, hymns, classical themes, folk and childrenÂ's tunes, patriotic songs, and Christmas classics arranged for the beginning pianist in a variety of styles. Includes a chart at the top of each piece illustrating where the student will place their hands and includes teacher duet parts. Students will love playing melodies that are familiar to them!

This colorful recital piece is in Middle C position with staccato seconds imitating the "ruff ruff" and an optional teacher duet. The animated lyrics tell the tale of a precocious pet in a "fun and fast" tempo.

Book 2, written for the elementary to late elementary level student, contains 9 descriptive solos containing a brief thought or point written under the title to guide interpretation. Students will have fun playing these descriptive pieces and making them their own.

The newest addition to Kevin Olson's popular series, My Kind of Music, Book 4 celebrates a myriad of musical topics! Beginning with the graceful celebration of morning, First Light, to the majestic solemnity of Gettysburg, this collection is a must-have for the intermediate level pianist. Other selections include: The Big Easy Blues; On the Wings of Pegasus; Ghostdance; Toccata in Twilight; and Catching Fireflies.

This toccata creates a vivid impression of the extraordinary beauty of the northern lights. Performers develop technical fluidity, artistic use of pedal, delicate touch, and left-hand voicing with right-hand coloration. The piece begins in the key of F# Major then modulates to G, and uses 6/8, 3/4 and 4/4 meters.

Collection of elementary solos with sections for improvisation. Each solo begins with a written out sesction that introduces students to note choices and rhythms that will direct theiry improvsation in the sectionn to follow. A CD with practice and performance tempo tracks is provided.

Collection of solos designed to give students a creative opportunity to experience freedom and exploration at the keyboard through the art of improvisation.

This energetic, contemporary quartet for four pianists could be a rousing finale for your next recital or special event. Although it is highly patterned, frequent entrances require close attention to counting. The contemporary sounds evoke feelings of power and strength as the crescendo builds.

This three-movement work has a modern style but isnÂ't dissonant--quite a compositional feat. A good piece for your "classical track" student: itÂ's energetic; uses creative voice leading and sequences; so cleverly written that it results in the illusion of hands together playing when actually hands play alone.