Incidental Music for Piano: 12 Extendable Pieces for the Young Silent-Film Pianist is an accessible collection of pieces intended for performance during showings of silent movies from the early 1900s. (For resources on putting on your own silent film recital, see Silent Film Celebration, a non-profit organization founded by Heather Smith, which offers silent film videos, sheet music, and other resources for piano teachers and students. Also check out my article, How to Organize a Silent Film Recital for Piano Students.)
While there are many extant volumes of incidental music for the advanced pianist (e.g., books here and here, plus public domain PDFs at sfsma.org or imslp.org), there are few collections available for the developing pianist. (Mine is the first, so far as I can tell!) The pieces in this collection are written for Late Elementary level students. If taught be rote, some of them are suitable for Early or Mid Elementary students.
The 12 pieces in this volume are titled by mood or character. When previewing a film, the action occurring in each film scene can be matched to an appropriate music selection.
Each piece is extendable, allowing it to be used flexibly to fill the time allotted for a given scene. Sections may repeated or not repeated as needed. The pianist is encouraged to create their own plan for the structure the piece using the provided Music Planning table. (If your students are like mine, they will enjoy having a say in how the piece goes!)
Sentimental Waltz (For Dancing Scenes, Skating, or General Use)
Love Theme (For Conversations, Weddings, and Other Sentimental Scenes)
Dramatic Tension Music (For Villian Scene or Other Excitement)
Uneasy Music (For Dramatic Tension, Sneaky Scenes, etc.)
Hero/Heroine Music (For Rescue Scenes, Successes, Weddings, etc.)
Pomp and Circumstance (For Victories, Weddings, Celebrations, and Happy Endings)
This is a studio-licensed product — meaning, the purchasing teacher is granted permission to print/copy from the PDF for educational purposes with your own students forever. The 8.5”x11” sized pages will print easily using a typical home/office printer. Your purchase also includes a set of audio recordings (MP3) for the pieces, so your students can listen to all twelve pieces.
Note: Interested in purchasing a HARDCOPY version of the book? Click here.
Level:
Late Elementary
Pages:
30 pages
Format:
PDF and MP3s (email delivery)
Terms of Use:
Studio License
STUDIO LICENSE Permission is granted for the purchasing teacher to make unlimited printouts and use the digital files for the purpose of teaching their own students. Sharing printouts or the digital files beyond that purpose is not permitted. The purchaser is not permitted to resell the item(s), or alter, modify, or create derivative works.
“The compositions are very accessible, engaging, fun, and written specifically with a younger student in mind. Students and teachers will love the music!” –Heather Smith
“I would highly recommend Joy Morin’s Silent Film collection. It’s definitely worth it! I had students playing some of the pieces at our silent film event a couple weeks ago, and Joy’s pieces were teacher AND student favorites!” –Valerie M.
“I have just received my copy in the mail, and I believe you have created a gem. Your pieces say so much with so few notes, and it never gets boring. Congratulations on this great book!” –Guilherme Lopes
Please note: This is a digital product, to be emailed after purchase.
NEW! Thank you for checking out my 12 Days of Christmas Projectcollaborative video kit for music teachers and their young musicians! In this project, students are assigned a short segment from the familiar 12 Days of Christmas carol to play on their instrument and video record. The teacher’s job is then to stitch all the student videos together into a final video that can be sent out to family and friends! Students will easily learn their part by ear/rote using the provided Practice Audio Tracks or by reading the provided sheet music notes.
Here’s my example video:
Within this kit, you will find everything you need to organize and create your own collaborative video project with your music students — no matter what instruments you teach or whether you are a single-teacher music studio or a multi-teacher school. It’s designed to work for practically any sized music studio. In it’s most basic form, the project is designed to work for 16-20 students, but there is much flexibility provided for working with more or fewer students.
For example, if you have a small or medium studio, you can assign students to cover two or more parts. This is especially great to do for students who happen to play more than one instrument. Just imagine how fun it would be to have the video involve piano, voice, guitar, ukulele, flute, violin, trumpet, sax, or French horn! (Transposed sheet music is provided.)
If you have a large studio or multi-teacher music school, you can involve more students by doubling them up on the same day so they will be dueting in the final video. It’s especially nice to pair up students on two different instruments. Or, students could sing the lyrics or provide harmony using the provided chord chart on piano, guitar, or ukulele for someone else’s part. The sky’s the limit! I encourage you to get creative to showcase the unique makeup of your music studio.
The 12 Days of Christmas Project can be completed in as little time as one or two lessons, but I suggest at least getting organized 3-6 weeks before your projected release date. If you are a piano teacher with a multi-keyboard classroom with headphones, this project can be completed across one or more class periods. A friend of mine completed it during just one studio class with her students. You can decide whether you’d prefer students to record their videos either during lesson time or at home — it works well either way!
Here’s what’s included:
Teacher’s Guide (3 pages), providing tips and guidance for how to successfully organize the project
Timeline & Checklist (1 page), helping you stay organized and on track throughout the project
Planning Sheet (1 page), used for you to assign students to their own parts from the 12 Days of Christmas carol
Video Editing Guide (1 page), a step-by-step guide with accompanying video tutorial showing you how to combine student videos into a final collaborative video
Student’s Guide (2 versions, 1 page each), providing students and parents guidelines for how to practice and video record either at their lesson or at home
Student Partsfor piano or treble clef C instruments (12 pages), containing strips of sheet music from the 12 Days of Christmas carol to give your students
MP3 Practice Tracks (20 audio files), for students to use to learn and practice their parts
Teacher Score for Video Editing (2 pages), sheet music for you to reference as you edit the student videos into a final collaborative video
12 Days Clipart (13 PNG image files), artwork licensed from artist Jesse Steury to add a fun visual element to the final video
Late Elementary Piano Solo (3 pages, $10 value!), studio-licensed sheet music arrangement you can give any piano students who wish to learn how to play the entire song
BONUS: Sheet music parts and full-length solos for C (Treble and Bass Clef), B-flat (Treble and Bass), E-flat (Treble), and F (Treble) instruments (60+ pages), for students who sing or play cello, trumpet, baritone, saxophone, French horn, etc. The full-length solos are studio-licensed ($10 value each), which means you can use this sheet music for years and years with your students
Duet Accompaniment (2 pages), a piano accompaniment you can record for the video project…or use to accompany the full-length solos on any instrument.
MP3s of the Duet Accompaniment and Duet Accompaniment + Solo (2 audio files), a recording of the Duet Accompaniment you can add to the video project or give your students as a backing track to enjoy when they play the full-length solo
Chord Chart, for pianists, guitarists, or ukulele players to use to add harmony (optional)
…and more!
In short, this kit will provide you all the guidance and materials you need to successfully pull off a collaborate video you can send out to your studio families and friends to celebrate the holiday season!
As a purchaser of this kit, the terms of use allow you unlimited printing for life for use with your own students. A STUDIO LICENSE for single teachers or a MULTI-TEACHER LICENSE for music schools is available. Either way, you and your students will be able to make use of this resources as often as you’d like for years to come! The 12 Days of Christmas project makes for a great annual tradition around the holidays.
The video-editing stage is arguably the most challenging aspect of the project (plan for it to take up to 3-4 hours). I would probably NOT recommend this project to anyone who is uncomfortable with technology and/or video editing — unless you’ve got a friend or family member who can help you with that step. That said, the provided Video Editing Guide, YouTube video tutorial, and Teacher Score for Video Editing will show you exactly what to do!
Would you like to see a video walkthrough of all the included pages? Watch it here.
Copyright – All files downloaded from ColorInMyPiano are protected by copyright law.
Studio License – Permission is granted for the purchasing teacher to make unlimited printouts and use the digital files for the purpose of teaching their own students. Sharing printouts or the digital files beyond that purpose is not permitted, such as sharing with other teachers. The purchaser is not permitted to resell the item(s), or alter, modify, or create derivative works.
Non-Transferrable – Purchase items from ColorInMyPiano are non-transferrable and must not be shared with other studios, teachers, or students of other teachers. Multi-teacher studios should purchase separate files for each teacher.
Responsibility – In all cases, the customer is ultimately responsible for their copyright compliance and the legal ramifications of their copy activity.
MULTI-TEACHER LICENSE (for multi-teacher music schools)
Copyright – All files downloaded from ColorInMyPiano are protected by copyright law.
Multi-Teacher School License – Permission is granted for the purchasing teacher and all employed teachers at the same school to make unlimited printouts and use the digital files for the purpose of teaching their own students. Sharing printouts or the digital files beyond that purpose is not permitted, such as sharing with teachers at other music schools. The purchaser is not permitted to resell the item(s), or alter, modify, or create derivative works.
Non-Transferrable – Purchase items from ColorInMyPiano are non-transferrable and must not be shared with other studios, teachers, or students of other teachers. Multi-teacher studios should purchase separate files for each teacher.
Responsibility – In all cases, the customer is ultimately responsible for their copyright compliance and the legal ramifications of their copy activity.
What if I need a transposed part that’s not included in the kit?
The kit includes parts transposed for most common music instruments in C (treble and bass clef), B-flat (treble and bass clef), E-flat (treble clef), and F (treble clef). But if there’s something else you need please let me know! I’d be happy to generate a special part just for you! Email me HERE.
Please note: This is a digital product, to be emailed after purchase.
This cheery mid elementary level piano solo includes a teacher duet. Joy composed this piece as a Christmas gift for her students in 2014. All rights are reserved on this composition; however, permission is granted for you to print/copy from the PDF for educational purposes. Enjoy!
The PDF contains two versions of the music: 8.5”x11” sized pages that will print well at home, and 12”x18” pages that you could have printed at your local print shop (you could probably request them to print on 11”x17” paper instead because it is more common in the U.S.).
Level:
Mid Elementary
Pages:
3 pages
Format:
PDF (email delivery)
Terms of Use:
Studio License
STUDIO LICENSE Permission is granted for the purchasing teacher to make unlimited printouts and use the digital files for the purpose of teaching their own students. Sharing printouts or the digital files beyond that purpose is not permitted. The purchaser is not permitted to resell the item(s), or alter, modify, or create derivative works.
SINGLE USER LICENSE Permission is granted for the purchaser to make a printout for personal use. Sharing the digital file/printouts with others is not permitted. The purchaser is not permitted to resell the item(s), or alter, modify, or create derivative works.
Where the Train Tracks End is a jazzy, mid-intermediate level piano piece by Joy Morin. It is in rondo form (ABACA) and the key of B minor. The piece opens with finger snaps over a descending bass line, which leads into the syncopation and laidback vibe of the main theme. The B section consists of flashy-sounding patterns that race up the piano, while the C section is upbeat with a walking bass line. There is an opportunity to improvise towards the end of the piece. This three-page piece is perfect for recitals as well as for personal pleasure. You are bound to enjoy Where the Train Tracks End!
Joy composed this piece in 2017 as part of a “Pedagogical Commissioning Project” organized by her Ohio-based colleague, Andy Villemez. The project brings working composers in direct conversation with music teachers and their students. Each student is paired with a composer who writes a piece based on the student’s current technical and musical abilities, personality, and interests. Joy wrote the piece Where the Train Tracks End specifically for a student named Brielle in Durham, NC.
Level:
Mid Intermediate
Pages:
3 pages
Format:
PDF and/or MP3 (email delivery)
Terms of Use:
Studio License OR Single User License
STUDIO LICENSE Permission is granted for the purchasing teacher to make unlimited printouts and use the digital files for the purpose of teaching their own students. Sharing printouts or the digital files beyond that purpose is not permitted. The purchaser is not permitted to resell the item(s), or alter, modify, or create derivative works.
SINGLE USER LICENSE Permission is granted for the purchaser to make a printout for personal use. Sharing the digital file/printouts with others is not permitted. The purchaser is not permitted to resell the item(s), or alter, modify, or create derivative works.
Grace is a late-intermediate piano solo composed by Joy Morin. It features an expressive, syncopated melody supported by a flowing, broken chord accompaniment. This two-page piece is perfect to play for events — such as recitals, weddings, or church services — as well as simply for personal enjoyment. You or your students will love playing Grace!
Read more about the backstory of this composition here.
STUDIO LICENSE Permission is granted for the purchasing teacher to make unlimited printouts and use the digital files for the purpose of teaching their own students. Sharing printouts or the digital files beyond that purpose is not permitted. The purchaser is not permitted to resell the item(s), or alter, modify, or create derivative works.
SINGLE USER LICENSE Permission is granted for the purchaser to make a printout for personal use. Sharing the digital file/printouts with others is not permitted. The purchaser is not permitted to resell the item(s), or alter, modify, or create derivative works.
Please note: This is a digital product, to be emailed after purchase.
Simplicité is a charming, mid-intermediate piano solo composed by Joy Morin. It features an expressive melody supported by a flowing accompaniment consisting of broken fifths. This two-page piece is perfect to play for events — such as recitals, weddings, or church services — as well as simply for personal enjoyment. You or your students will love playing Simplicité!
Read more about the backstory for this piece here.
STUDIO LICENSE Permission is granted for the purchasing teacher to make unlimited printouts and use the digital files for the purpose of teaching their own students. Sharing printouts or the digital files beyond that purpose is not permitted. The purchaser is not permitted to resell the item(s), or alter, modify, or create derivative works.
SINGLE USER LICENSE Permission is granted for the purchaser to make a printout for personal use. Sharing the digital file/printouts with others is not permitted. The purchaser is not permitted to resell the item(s), or alter, modify, or create derivative works.
“Congratulations, and thank you Joy! You are part of my teaching in many ways. Just yesterday, in fact, I started another student playing ‘Simplicité!'” –Ursula
“The little boy playing your piece [Simplicité] LOVES it – (and so do I and his parents and his grandparents!!).” –Laurie
Please note: This product is a digital download, delivered by email after purchase.
