Scenes from Gorillahood

by Josephine Symons

These seven piano solos are great for exam Extra Lists or Eisteddfod competitions. They are suitable for grades 3-5, with rewarding rhythmic challenges.

Composed by one of Australia's leading piano teachers, these delightful two-page works are perfect supplementary material. Josephine's extensive knowledge of what makes good teaching repertoire comes to the fore in these humorous works depicting a day in the life of a baby gorilla.

The pieces

Ambling Along contains a bitonal section and a glissando for the left hand (Jo says "I couldn't resist a slip on a banana!")

Bopping is a challenge for keyboard geography and capturing a very mischievous mood.

Comforting requires cantabile and legato pedalling.

Dreaming employs dovetailing of the hands and introduces the student to the important problem of controlling both the melody and accompaniment with the same hand.

Eccentric Mood needs crisp staccatos, a sharp attack and a strict rhythm.

Finale: March is a challenge for left hand chord playing.

Gone Bananas (Encore) requires the same staccatos and rhythm as Eccentric Mood.

Preface

Boobsie is a very cuddly and mischievous black baby gorilla disguised as a soft toy belonging to Angela Teoh, who was my piano student years ago and who has been a full-time piano teacher herself for many years. One Christmas Angela gave me a pad of recycled manuscript paper so I decided to write a light-hearted piece about Boobsie for her to teach to her young students. Thus, Ambling Along was born. One thing led to another until the Boobsie Suite emerged. The name was later altered to "Scenes from Gorillahood".

Although each piece is complete in itself, I was also interested in writing a suite---which could give an opportunity for expressing some of the different facets of Boobsie's personality and at the same time provide varying challenges to the young piano student, both technically and musically.

View or print a page from Ambling Along

See Jo's notes On Teaching Piano

HMP Home Page