Before you read the post in its entirety, do know that there are giveaways for PianoBookClub’ers and non-PianoBookClub’ers alike 🙂
If you’re a member of PianoBookClub, then you already know that Trevor and I release a new piano book to our members every single month.
Which means that, just last year, we released 12 different piano books for kids and teens, for a total of 80+ piano pieces!
Now, as is the case with our children, Trevor and I love all of our PianoBookClub books equally. But we often wonder… what are your favorites? Or, if you’re not already a member, which ones would most likely be your favourites?
So we figured… we might as well ask!
And since it’s the season of award shows we decided to ask you to vote for your favorite PianoBookClub books from 2015 in a series of “Award” categories.
Why this is much more than an “Awards” Post…
As you probably guessed, this post isn’t so much about the awards as it is about getting your feedback and using it to guide the direction of PianoBookClub through 2016 and beyond.
And when we say beyond, we mean waaaaay beyond. The coming years of PianoBookClub will see the release of some of our most inventive titles to date (our “brainstorm book” currently has 173 potential titles just waiting to be brought to life!)
But right now… let’s get on with the voting!
Below we have included the title page images of each of the 12 books that we released in 2015. In the comments section at the very bottom of this post, we would like you to tell us these three things:
- Which book from 2015 was your favorite?
- Which book from 2015 was your students’ favorite?
- Which book from 2015 was most useful to your piano students’ development?
And hey! If you’re not already a PianoBookClub member you can still participate! In the comments section below tell us…
- Which book would get the most use in your studio?
From all of the people who comment, five current PianoBookClub’ers and three not-yet-PianoBookClub’ers will be selected at random to receive their choice of three PianoBookClub books published within the last two years (and if you already have them all… we’ll find three different Teach Piano Today products for you!) 🙂
And the Nominees Are:
Note: The books below were released in 2015 and are now retired. However, every month (in addition to a new release) we bring one book out of retirement and make it available for purchase by current PianoBookClub members only.
Marilyn Curtis says
I joined the Piano Book Club about half way through the year, and I’m so glad I did! I teach young elementary students and I also teach several teens. I decided to join your Book Club after finding your blog and downloading a free sample of “Devlin’s Theme,” from the Guardians of Arranmore book. Every teen that played “Devlin’s Theme” absolutely loved it, so I would say that the Guardians of Arranmore book is my favorite, even though I haven’t had the chance to buy the entire book yet.
My young students’ favorite book was “Nuts about Note-Reading,” with Sheldon T. Squirrel. We enjoyed lots of fun moments teaching and role-playing with Sheldon!
I would say “Nuts about Note-reading” and “The Silver Screen Playbook” were the most useful to development because my students loved them and loved practicing them!
Keep up the great work, Andrea! I don’t know what I would do without your Piano Book Club!
Morgan Weisenburger says
Pop Waltz Prophecy is the only one I have shown to my students. I sent a link to your page with the samples to about 7 of my teen students, and at least 5 of them were really excited to get their book. I haven’t printed them yet… But I will soon!
Michelle says
Hello! I haven’t been a book club member for very long (only since Tinker), but I’m loving it :-)!
Which book from 2015 was your favorite?
Which book from 2015 was your students’ favorite? the younger students have enjoyed “Nuts About Note Reading” and the older students are enjoying “Popwaltz Prophecy”
Which book from 2015 was most useful to your piano students’ development? Tinker
Thank you for all the time and effort you put into making quality resources available for us teachers!!
Trevor says
Thanks so much Michelle – so happy to hear you are loving PianoBookClub! 🙂
Pam says
Not a member yet, but I’m planning on becoming one soon, but love your blog posts.
Definitely need more music and materials that young boys enjoy.
Jill says
I am hoping to join this year. But look at all the wonderful books I have already missed out on!!! Any chance of back numbers?
Heidi says
Which book from 2015 was your favorite? Silver screen playbook
Which book from 2015 was your students’ favorite? Mutterwump masterpiece
Which book from 2015 was most useful to your piano students’ development? Note Reading with Sheldon!
All great books – love the variety for all levels! Thanks
liz says
three ships has got plenty of airtime here. probably an early elementary book, nuts about note-reading would be useful
Rebekah says
Hands down, the SilverScreen Playbook was my favorite (and my students’ favorite) for the intermediate students, while the Mutterwump Masterpiece was my favorite (and my students’ favorite) for the beginner students. Vamp Battles and How to Babysit a Brontosaurus came in as close seconds for the intermediate and beginner categories. Thanks so much for a WONDERFUL year of new music! It is such a treat to download, print, and distribute your new creations every month. THANK YOU!!!!
Anola says
1, 2, 3. The Guardians of Aranmore! This book REALLY got my more advanced students “playing”.
Saundra says
I have only been a book club member since last September. I am actually looking for suggestions on how some members use the books. Do you bind it after printing to make a book? Or do you put the printed sheets in student’s binder? Or do you have a studio copy only and use it as a checkout book from your library? I haven’t used this material as much as I would like as I’m still trying how to best use it. Thanks in advance for feedback.
Melinda says
As not-yet a subscriber, but teetering on the brink of joining, it’s really hard to say what my students would like most. I’m tempted to go with the Silver Screen theme. I have 4 students who are young (7 and under) and then the rest jump to 10-16, so VASTLY different interests between those two groups! But everyone enjoys movies 🙂 I read a few of the comments just to get an idea, and I too really like the idea of equal part duets, especially in the more beginning stages! Or ones where they are staggered, so siblings could play together even if one is in level 1 and the other is in, say 2b. Currently my plan is to join the piano book club in the next couple of months and if they are well received by my students, (and by extension parents), I will start charging a registration fee to help cover the cost. And I feel that by doing it on my own dime as an experimentation, it will make my initiating a registration fee more legitimate for the transition.