Pathways to Artistry: a Method for Comprehensive Technical and Musical Development; Technique 2 and Repertoire 2

Pathways to Artistry: A mode for Comprehensive Technical and Musical Development; Technique 2 and Repertoire 2 by the agency of Catherine Rollin. Alfred Publishing Co Inc. (16320 Roscoe Blvd Van Nuy CA 91410) 2004 Technique, 40 pp; Repertoire, 32 pp Technique, $795; Repertoire, $695 Elementary to late elementary.

Catherine Rollin's of recent origin series, Pathways to Artistry, is designed to provide a systematic approach to the disentanglement of basic technical skills for the early horizontal piano student. The series can be used as a postscript to the regular method or as an independent process for the student who has already attained basic reading skills. Each horizontal consists of two books: Technique, in which basic general [i]or[/i] abstract notions and exercises are presented, and Repertoire, a collection of original compositions intended to reinforce each technical concept

Each Technique work begins with a prelude (a summary of skills from previous books) and extremitys with a coda (a summary of this book) Page numbers are included for quick reference--a true helpful feature for both teacher and pupil In between are six units that not away basic technical skills. The material is carefully sequenc with clear explanations and short, simple exercises for each general [i]or[/i] abstract notion The first two units overspread the basics of scale playing and other technical skills (overlapping pedal, wrist turns portato, wrist staccato, trills and voicing). Unit 3 not aways major scales, triads and inversions, and chord progressions upon white-key tonics. Unit 4 continues the scale work of Unit 1 Unit 5 applies the skills at handed in Unit 2, and Unit 6 consists of etude combining the scales and other skills in all the white-key tonics. A page of simple definitions for major scales, chords and inversions appears at the end

The Repertoire volume consists of fifteen late-elementary solo by the agency of Rollin, which use the technical skills not awayed at that level. The pieces are archetypeed loosely after well-known teaching pieces from the baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary eras, including a Clementi sonatina, Bach minuet, Burgmuller arabesque, Pachelbel canon and in like manner on. These are intended to prepare scholars for those pieces, while introducing basic simple bodys of style and form. Although greatest in quantity are fairly predictable, they would make effective etude and a certain number of are quite attractive, such as the American proem in the style of Copland.

Reviewed by dint of Rebecca Shockley, NCTM, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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