Students often fall in love with pieces like Clair de lune long before they have the technique to play them well.

And as teachers, that puts us in a tricky spot.

We don’t want to dampen that enthusiasm—but we also know those pieces are, at the moment, out of reach. And handing them a simplified version rarely captures what drew them in to begin with.

In this episode, I explore a collection that offers a better solution.

Marina Alcolea’s Piano au bord de l’eau introduces students to the sound world of French Impressionism through music that is approachable, pattern-based, and genuinely musical—without feeling like a watered-down version of Debussy.

If you’re looking for repertoire that meets students where they are—while still honoring the music they’re drawn to—this is a collection worth exploring.