I have been meaning to write down a post about the American composer Robert D. Vandall for a while. He has composed more than 400 pieces for piano, specially aimed for the first few years of piano learning. Today, 9th of February 2018 is his death anniversary, so this article will serve as a small tribute.
His pieces have a clear pedagogical side, very adaptable to the pupils’ hands with easy to understand musical elements. His pieces have a big variety of rhythms, time signatures and styles, using a big portion of the keyboard register. All his pieces are based in easy to recognize patterns. This allows to develops different activities in the class, such as improvisation based in said patterns, transposition or analysis. Also this allows his pieces to be taught either by rote or by reading.
Following, there is a list of the Vandall’s pieces books that I use the most in my lessons:
Preludes
The 24 Preludes in all major and minor keys are a clear example of his style. They are pieces developed from a single pattern, easily understandable. However, the patterns his pieces are based on, are very different whether between. This makes this book perfect to practice all the major and minor keys in a very simple way. It is also a perfect collection to use for the 40 Piece Challenge. Preludes can be purchased as a solo book that includes the 24 preludes, or in three different volumes. I have the complete 24 Preludes edition, but I can make my pupils just to buy the first volume, containing the first 7 preludes. Here there is an example of the C major Prelude that opens the series, based exclusively in root position arpegios.
Modes and Moods
This book includes 7 pieces, each one composed in a different mode and all in white keys. It is actually impressive the variety in this book, thinking that none alteration is used in any of the pieces, 21 complete pages without a single black key. In this link you can read the analysis made by the composer of one of the pieces of the book in lidian mode, Lydian Nocturne. It also includes the whole score with his own notes. More examples on this book can be Energized, written in mixolidian, or Turbulence in locrian mode. In the following example you can see my own recording of the Nocturne.
Celebrated Virtuosic Solos, Book 3
Vandall has different series of pieces divided in levels, from level 1 to 5 according with UK and USA levels. Some examples are: Celebrated Lyrical Solos, Celebrated Piano Solos or Celebrated Virtuosic Solos. Of all of them, the ones I find to be the most complete ones are: Celebrated Lyrical Solos Book 2, Celebrated Virtuosic Solos Book 3 and Celebrated Virtuosic Solos Book 4. Of my chosen book, I am including as an example the piece: Triad Toccatina, based in root position chords for the right hand:
In this book you can also find very interesting pieces as Allegro Scherzando or Allegro in A minor.
Other pieces
To finish with, these are just some pieces that I often use, that are included in other books:
Toccata in f
Ovation nº1
Shadow Chase
I just want to thank Vandall for all the pieces I already know and all the ones I have still to discover. I hope this post has been useful for you.
I also want to thank Marta Maroto Ruiz for translating this post into English.
Translation: Marta Maroto Ruiz
Hi from Singapore!
Brilliant article as always! Thanks to you, I’m exposed to all these great composers. I have purchased lots of Gillock, Jennifer Linn, Ben Crosland, Elissa Milne, Vandall, Sheftel, Kevin Olson etc for my teaching library.
I LOVE GILLOCK!
Also, I’ve been using your Diversions and Piano Train Trips with a student and most likely everyone in the future. Really love the melodies and harmonies! You have a great taste and I love the music you compose and recommend!
Thanks and looking forward to more articles from you!
Thank you very much Celinna! Comments like yours encourage me to keep writing. Gillock, Vandall, Linn and others have so pedagogical and beautiful music that students love them too. Regards from Madrid
Hi Juan
I’m a piano teacher from Italy and I found out your blog just this morning. I am very pleased to know that there are other piano teacher’s like me that are including in there repertoire alI the American and Canadian composers. Here in Italy they are not actually quite known. Composers like: Dennis Alexander, Robert D. Vandall, Melody Bober, Kevin Olson, Catherine Rollin, Paul Sheftel and many others are just a “nobody knows composers” here in my country. IIke you, I have included a lot of repertoire in the curriculum for my students, I find that most of the musical material in very useful for my pupil’s growth and above all, my students really love them, especially Vandall.
Keep going with your wonderful blog Juan, your doing a fine work for students and teachers.
Cheers from Sardegna (Italy)
Maximilian
Hello Maximilian! Thanks for writing! It’s very encouraging that you are using pieces by the same composers as I use! Here in Spain they are not very well known, but they are amazing. Their pieces are very pedagogical with lots of imagination and great sounds for the students. Do you know Jennifer Linn, June Armstrong and William Gillock? They are also great. Best regards from Spain
Hola Juan
I totally agree with you, there are wonderful composers that a lot of piano teachers are totally unaware of. My students really love to play compositions that are so inspiring, fun and challenging. I’m so happy to have found out such a gold mine of pieces and composers for my students and I’m happy to know that I am not the only one.
About your question. Yes, I do know William Gillock, he has done tons of pieces for pedagogical purpose, a sort of American Kabalevsky. I’ve got all the “Accent on solo” series and other wonderful pieces like: Fountain in the Rain and Fiesta. I’ve heard of Jennifer Linn but I still haven’t bought one of here works yet, on the other hand I do not know June Amstrong, but thanks to your tip, I’m going to check her out as soon as possible.
Thank you very much for your blog Juan, looking forward to new topics. Keep it up…
Ciao dalla Sardegna
Maximilian
Hello Maximilian,
I recommend you Recital Collection by Gillock is a compilation of his best works. All of the pieces in this book are wonderful!
Jennifer Lee has several books but for me her bests are Les Petite Impressions and Les petite Images. And I love all the books by June Armstrong and on her website you can listen to her books.
I write more posts in Spanish than in English but I’m going to try to write more in English with help of a friend of mine.
Ciao, thanks for writing on the blog
Hola Juan
Thanks a lot for all your help and information, I really appreciate it.
I know what I’m going to do for the next few day’s checking out all your advices and try to read spanish very slowly….ahahahha
Once again, thank you
P:s I’m interested in your books to
Ciao
Maximilian