Did you usher Halloween swiftly out the door… only to have Christmas sneak in as quickly as Halloween left?
If you celebrate the holidays in your piano studio, you’ll know that nothing quite breaks up the long winter months like the Christmas season; carols, fun activities, parties, recitals, treats… for piano students it just doesn’t get any better.
Capitalizing on this holiday excitement is a great way to inspire home practice and pump up the motivation and excitement in your studio.
So, as a couple of “Christmas Music Fanatics” we’re getting a head-start on the fun with the piece we’re sharing today!
A Printable Christmas Tune For Your Teens (Or For You!)
Today we wanted to kick off the season of giving (what can I say… piano teachers start early!) by sharing a show-stopping teen recital piece with all of our Teach Piano Today readers (the download is after the video).
Three Ships is a Christmas Pop Piano Solo that is destined to be a holiday favorite with your students. If you have students who are crazy about The Amadeus Anthems and The Guardians of Arranmore, then this piece will be right in their wheelhouse.
And now… on to the music! Check out the video preview of “Three Ships” and then keep reading to find out how to download the sheet music.
If Three Ships sounds like just what you need for a rockin’ Christmas recital, it’s waiting for you in our teen piano music Facebook group! But not only is Three Ships there for free printing, but so is “Wolf”, “Pieces of 88” and our other Christmas solo “In The Bright Sky!” plus a ton of other teen-focussed resources. Click here to join and access group files.
But wait! We’d also love to hear from you in the comments below… What other piano pieces from Teach Piano Today or PianoBookClub will be making an appearance in your holiday recitals?
This year I’m having my first ever Christmas studio recital so I decided to go super traditional and only do Christmas music. But, almost my entire Halloween recital last month was from the Halloween Bag o’ Tricks. The kids loved it! 😀
We are featuring Jungle Bells wih 2 sibling students performing the duet!!! It is so much fun to practice it! I love your books!
Where can I find Jungle Bell’s?
What in the world? Thank you SO much for this awesome piece, and you look gorgeous playing it. Again, you manage to GIVE me something on the exact day I need it. I have 3 teen boys coming today & was trying to figure out what to give them. I’m going to use the most recent Vamp Battles with all of my teens in our Spring Recital…can’t wait. Thank you again.
Love this piece! I gave Taefa’s Theme to a 7th grader yesterday and she was so excited. She said, “O my gosh!! I can play this, and it sounds good! ” So great to see her excited about music again!!
I have almost all my concert pieces from TPT and PBC. some of my favourites are the Bluesy Kids Duet and the first 2 pieces from the Silverscreen Playbook (Bluestone and Moonshot). I can’t wait ’til the 6th of December to wow the families!
Wow! I love this piece! I just recently began receiving your email and have not yet really looked at your music. I look forward to seeing and using more. Thanks!
“Wave” from the Silverscreen Playbook was a big hit for my teen students, and it will be played in my recital this month as well as “Mystery at the Mansion” from “Fearless Fortissimo.” The tunes are so catchy and enjoyable! My students have learned a lot from playing them!
And thank you so much for sharing this new piece! It is so much fun!
Thank you so much for this! I have two transfer teens who were never taught to sight read. This appears to be a perfect piece for sight reading work. I’m a new subscriber; looking forward to seeing more of you!
My students love playing your piano pieces. It is so great to find music that is “cool” enough for them to play. Thanks
We just had our Halloween recital. Several students played from Halloween Bag o’ Tricks and everyone loved it. I also had 1 play from the Wunderkeys collection. 🙂
Thank you so much for this lovely music. I plan to play it at the Christmas gathering with my adult students.
Thank you for the beautiful sheet music. It is lovely!
Beautiful song. I am so excited to have one of my students play it. I have several boy students that love your fearless fortissimo songs. Thank you so much. I need to join the club. !!
Thanks so much for your beautiful new piece! I know my teens will love it – they have been going crazy for the Silver Screen Playbook, and I’m pretty sure that collection is responsible for rescuing a few kids from the brink of “moving on” from piano. I am a relatively new Piano Music Club member so I don’t have any of your Christmas music yet, but you are officially the favourite composer of my studio so I can’t wait to see it! Thanks again for everything that you share!
Hi Ellen – thrilled beyond belief to hear that The Silver Screen was a “turn around” book for some of your teens. It’s so cool what “just the right piece” can accomplish – and so powerful when it means keeping them in piano lessons! Very honored to be the composer of choice for your studio – thank you 🙂 you made my night!
For Halloween- we used your Bag O Tricks and loved it!! I know I have a few teens who would love this pop solo! 🙂
Tonight is recital night! Into the Woods will be played! Wonderful! The young man who is playing it will do a great job! Thank you for making it available! Just printed Three Ships. Another good one!
Best of luck at the recital Robin! Happy to hear In The Woods will be a part of it!
This sounds great! Several of my students have been enjoying Silverscreen Playbook, Fearless Fortissimo, and My Piano Teacher Thinks She is a Ninja. Now to choose who will get to play Three Ships!
Becoming a part of your piano and game club has revolutionized my studio. I have 9 teachers who work for me and each one has told me how much their students love the music and fun games. I’ve started monthly master classes and they are being met with rave reviews. Thank you for all the time you put in to helping others. Keep it up.
Wow…. amazing song, amazing video! Thank you so much Andrea.
This is my first TPT Christmas solo. I don’t have any students who have gotten this far–yet, but I’m saving if for next year. I have a particular student in mind who should be ready for it then and it will be the perfect thing! All the students who have Fearless Fortissimo love it, boys and girls alike, and so do I. Students who are reluctant to play with expression because it sounds artificial in some pieces play Fearless Fortissimo with great emotion–they are so engaged with the music. Thanks for writing music kids want to play!
That’s so pretty. I will use it at our Recital. I would love to see all the traditional carols and Christmas songs in the Pianobookclub.☺
Last year we had lots of Rollickin’ Reindeer duets and Jungle Bells, but this year we are having a “Winter Recital” (instead of Christmas only), so students were given choices between Christmas pieces or just regular pieces that they liked. And one student picked two pieces from Fearless Fortissimo, so he’ll be playing them at the concert!
This is fantastic – thanks so much, Andrea! I think it will be perfect to play at a nursing home playing event, where students play for the residents.
They will love this, too. 🙂
My students tried monster mash ups and a group of 9 year olds got together for a play off after treat or treating at a Halloween party. Each played their version. Their idea, not mine.
Nice arrangement of Three ships, very doable! Nice rich full sound. A standard with a twist, thank you….hmmmm who shall I give this piece to???
Thanks for your many freebies! I love them. I have students play songs from Fearless Fortissimo at every recital! They love them!
Love it! Will be sharing it with some of my students this week! Almost all of my recitals feature at least one piece from the BookClub. Favourites have been Silverscreen Playbook, Technique Ninja, The Note Nabber, and Guardians of Aranmore. Love them.
Thank you Andrea, for so generously sharing this piece with us! I have the same dilemma as several previous commenters….who gets to be the lucky student to perform this piece? At my last recital we had five Arranmore pieces that were performed. I’m pretty sure “In the Woods” will end up in this year’s December recital at least once. Thanks for writing music that is so appealing to my teen students! 🙂
Awesome video, great song… TY! My older students love using octaves and power chords. For Thanksgiving vacation there will be 10+ kids visiting skilled nursing facilities, playing Vamp Battles, especially ‘The Griffins’ Duel.’ Duets have fostered great ear and rhythm skills for students. We will prep for Christmas now. Excited!
What a great piece for Christmas Recital. The video is very helpful and you look fabulous playing it!
I have a student performing a piece from The Guardians of Arranmore. I also have someone ding a piece from Fearless Fortissimo. I was really hoping you would do some Christmas music! I can’t wait to have a few of my students try it out. 🙂
Excellent!! I will definitely use this for my Christmas recital. Also, Keeva’s Theme, which isnt seasonal, but had been a huge hit with my teen students. ….At least one of my younger kids will play something from Rollicking Reindeer. (I am in the middle of assigning recital repertoire).
Love this. We’ve already picked all our recital music in my studio but I will be giving this to several students to learn at their lessons. I might just have to play this myself at the recital though!
This is wonderful! Thank you for all your creativity and hard work!
Thank you for this new piece. You are amazing. My fall recital was on Oct. 29. I called it “Sorting out the Seasons.” Each student did a Halloween song and a Christmas song. For their Halloween song, they had to quickly put on a simple halloween costume, like a witch hat or a dracula cape. For their Christmas song, each had to don a Santa hat or an ugly Christmas sweater, etc. I had everyone’s name in a halloween cauldron and in an oversized Christmas ball. I chose the first name from whichever container, then when that person was done, he chose the next name out of whichever container. I did have a printed program, it just didn’t go in that order. The students loved choosing the next performer and they were very good sports changing costumes. Each family brought a plate of their favorite halloween or Christmas treat for refreshments. The recital was very well received! We had songs as simple as “The Ghost of Tom” and as complex as “Toccata in D Minor” for Halloween songs. The Phantom by Melody Bober was the most popular duet. ‘Haunted Organ” from the “Ghost and Mr. Chicken” was also very fun. For Christmas songs, choices ranged from a super simple “Jolly Old St. Nicholas” to a great version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Lots of fun! Also, each student answered the questions “My favorite Christmas tradition is….” and “The thing I like most about Halloween in….” Those statements brought lots of laughter and smiles from the audience.
I forget to say that one student performed “Schlopizoodles” for her Halloween song. It was perfect!
THanks I love this! You have the best arrangements. We just did a Halloween rectial all from you comic series and the kids totally loved it.
This is so pretty and energetic. I know I’ll have some very happy students when they hear this. Thank you for all you offer. You have been life savers to me with all the fresh, fun, creative ideas you share all the time!
Love this! Perfect day to get it too… it will be in someone’s hands by supper time! I’m using Jungle Bells this year, and a few of the songs from “Rollicking Reindeer”
What a great piece! Thank you for sharing!
I love this piece. You inspire me to be so much more creative in the studio thank you!!!
Lots of fun stuff! Love this piece! Thanks so much! I know I have several teens working through the Silver Screen (Wolf and Shelter were a big hit for our Halloween Showcase). We are recording a CD this year as a Christmas gift, and those will be on there. We also had a local Festival, and there were a few that popped up from Piano Book Club, from the Silver Screen and Guardians. Our Christmas will be traditional Christmas, but I forgot all about Jungle Bells.. I may have to see if I have some students able to do that, because we are having lots of Duets this year. Some of my younger students may use Rollicking Reindeer too.
Thank you, Andrea!
We are in the fourth last week of our academic year here in South Africa. With all recitals done and exams starting soon, this is the time of the year that not much practicing happens. All of my colleagues are whining about their students not being motivated, but I am walking around with a big smile on my face. Thanks to “Vamp Battles” and the “Rise and shine” challenge. In return the children have challenged me to go to the gym every morning before school to sweat it out on the treadmill while they are practicing piano. Getting up at 5am to do my daily workout is hard, but going to school experiencing that about all of my students are keeping up with the challenge is such a motivation. (And the feeling that I am done at the gym for the day)
Thank you so much for all your excellent material.
Love you guys!
Hello Zelna, from a fellow South African teacher! so glad I’m not alone here
This is perfect! I have a student who LOVED Guardians of Arranmore (Devlin’s Theme is his favorite piece of all time), so this will be exactly what he needs for Christmas!
Bless your SOULS! This is a lovely piece and totally adore you for sharing.
Thank you this, it’s beautiful.
And I love the white piano. 🙂
I love your music!. It is so upbeat and I know just which students will love it as well. Thank-you for all you teach, and share.
This is a great intermediate piece! I’m definitely going to share it with a couple of my students. The video was nice too!
Thank you so much for making such wonderful pieces and making them free! I just moved so all my students are beginners and this piece is too much for them to learn by December for our Christmas performance class, but I may just spice up the party and play it myself!
Thanks for this great new piece! I have a really small studio, and don’t have any students who are ready for this, yet, but I will enjoy playing it myself.