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Robin Keehn, Washington

I have a lot of students in the Development Levels (10-18).   My requirement is that they have their “Top 40” or an hour’s worth of music that they can just sit down and play.  I require them to keep a lot of the more complex pieces.  They worked so hard on pieces especially in Levels 7 and up, I want those to be retained as much as possible.  They are also playing a lot of other pieces from other sources and so often those pieces will be a good part of that working repertoire.

There are a bunch more and I can send a more comprehensive list if it helps anyone.  I don’t justify this to my students.  I just let them know that I expect that they have a well-rounded Top 40 and that it is absolutely a requirement!

Here is my “Top 40” for my students who are in or past Foundation Level 9.   I require that they have a “Top 40” playlist and/or be able to play for an hour (preferably without music in front of them).   I allow my students to drop some pieces after they complete the Reading Program but I don’t encourage them dropping many pieces–maybe 6-8 from Foundation Levels 1-6.

They are required to know:

Dreams Arrangement with the LH broken chords
Night Storm Arrangement with the LH broken chords
Ode to Joy
Alma Mater Blues
I’ll Be There (arrangement)
Minuet in G (arrangement)
Light Blue
Billy at the Footy
Tear for a Friend (original or arrangement)
Lullaby
Deep River
Sonata in C
Squidigies Boogie
Dark Blue
In My Eyes
Ballade
Shoo Fly
Fur Elise
The Gaz
Sit By My Side
Church Song
57 12/8 Blues
Canon in D
D Part
The Blue Danube
Beautiful Boy
Walk at Eleven
Panther
Sonata Pathetique
Miles
Moonlight

This is about 30 pieces.  At this point, they should have at least 10 other pieces that they know and love to play from outside sources.

Here are the pieces in the Development Levels FYI.   I make sure that we don’t pick these to learn prior to their appearance in the upper levels.   Pieces that do not list a composer are by Neil Moore.

Level 10

Pauly’s Patter
Lost
Gold
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Bach)

Level 11

Can I Share My Heart?
Study in C Minor (Bertini)
The Gaz
On This Day

Level 12

Traumerei (Schumann)
Sky High
Soliloquy
Prelude in C Minor (Chopin–simplified arrangement)

Level 13  

Prelude in C (Bach)
Now and Ever
Liebestraum (Liszt)
Minuet in G (Bach)

Level 14

You Were With me All Along
Minuet in G (Beethoven–simplified arrangement)
Deep River
Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven–original)

Level 15

Heart to Heart
Prelude in Em (Chopin)
A Friend in Time

Level 16

Gymnopedie (Satie)
Father to Son
Minuet in G (Beethoven–original)

Level 17

Song for Raoul
Nocturne in Eb (Chopin)
If I Only Had the Chance

Level 18

Chopin Prelude in A
Marlo’s Dawn
Prelude in C Minor (Chopin–original)