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As we head into Thanksgiving week here in the United States, we’re entering one of the busiest times, and for me, one of the most satisfying seasons in our teaching studios.
And while this time of year is sure to bring plenty of well-loved Christmas classics, and to be honest, there are already loads of good resources to help you find arrangements of those, I’m going to take a slightly different path today.
I’ve chosen three winter-themed pieces that capture the mood and the spirit of the season, but that are original piano compositions.
These are pieces to enjoy now, but students can just as easily keep learning and performing them well into January and February. So settle in and get comfy. Let’s ease into some fresh seasonal sounds.
Coming up next on the Piano Pedagogy Playlist. Thanks for taking time to join me during this Thanksgiving week. I’m glad you’re here.
My name is Luke Bartolomeo. I’m a pianist, a teacher and developer of music education apps, including Flashnote Derby.
Every Monday here on the Piano Pedagogy Playlist, I share some of my current favorites from the contemporary repertoire for piano students written by living composers.
We’re gonna start with a long time staple in my studio and a piece that is very near and dear to my heart, Sleighride Fantasy by Melody Bober.

This piece is festive and energetic. It evokes the joy and excitement of the approaching season. I’ve used it with students for over 20 years, and each year when I revisit it, I’m reminded why it has such staying power in my studio.
It begins with cinematic flair that would be right at home accompanying the opening credits of a Hallmark Christmas movie. And it wraps up with a real banger of a finale.
In between, there’s a middle section filled with cross-hand arpeggios that gives students a great technical workout. Here it is, one of my faves, Sleighride Fantasy by Melody Bober. Now, there’s a burst of energy to kick off the program.
You can practically hear those jingle bells in the background. A great choice for late intermediate students this time of year, Melody Bober’s Sleighride Fantasy.

Now, let’s shift to something a bit more delicate, something that glides rather than gallops. I’m thinking of a piece called Ice Dance, composed by Seana Davey. Now, the name Seana Davey may be new to many listeners.
She’s an Irish harpist and composer who blends her classical background with a distinctive Celtic influence and grace. This piece, Ice Dance, is part of the Trinity College Grade 5 piano syllabus, and it’s a lovely example of her voice.
The opening section is a graceful invention, requiring both complete independence of the two hands, but also complete cooperation, while the middle section then melts into something more relaxed and flowing, and it all ends with a bright swirling
flourish that recalls the opening melody. Now, I will tell you in advance, that this piece does not sound like it came from a Hallmark movie.
The interplay between the two voices in the opening section sounds distinctly modern, not really dissonant, but it’s probably not what you might be expecting from a student piano piece called Ice Dance.
But I find it super interesting and extremely useful from a pedagogical perspective. Here’s Ice Dance by Seana Davey. What do you think?
I really like the arrival of the relaxed middle section, contrasting with the more intense opening. And the swirling finale that brings to mind a skater spinning faster and faster, and then concluding their routine, striking a dramatic pose.
That was Ice Dance by Seana Davey.

Now for our final selection, we turn to someone who has become a kind of ambassador for contemporary piano music, Ludovico Einaudi. He’s a highly successful and widely admired Italian composer, born in the beautiful city of Turin.
His music sits at the crossroads of classical and new age, and he has attracted an audience far beyond the traditional classical world.
I’ve been surprised by how many of my own students know his name, and have actually brought in on their own his pieces to study.
While a lot of Einaudi’s works are quite long or technically challenging, this little snow prelude, to be specific the snow prelude number three in C major, it’s wonderfully accessible for intermediate students.
It’s jauntily optimistic, with just a touch of wistfulness tucked in around the edges. And now if you’ll indulge me for just a moment, I’ll tell you the image this piece conjures up for me personally.
Now I’m an avid skier, and living in the Midwest presents two rather big obstacles to enjoying the sport. One is the lack of mountains, and the other, at least in recent years, has been a lack of snow.
So when I play this prelude, it doesn’t make me think of a peaceful snowfall. Instead, I picture myself stepping outside, squinting up at a gray Illinois sky and wondering, might we see one of those glorious snowy winters of my childhood this year?
Here is Ludovico Einaudi’s Snow Prelude, number three in C major. Today, we explored three pieces that all have the potential to become part of your studio’s winter repertoire for years to come.
And the nice thing is if a student doesn’t quite finish learning their piece before winter break, it won’t feel out of place at all to keep working on it in January.
You’ll find links to where you can purchase each piece in the episode description, or as always, you can head to my website at pianopedagogyplaylist.com for more information.
And, just like that, we have to close the lid on today’s episode of the Piano Pedagogy Playlist. I want to wish all of you a warm, joyful and restorative Thanksgiving.
May the days ahead bring good food and good company, and if we’re lucky, a little quiet time at the piano.
I’ll look forward to seeing you again next Monday when I’ll share more of my current favorites from the Contemporary Piano Teacher’s Repertoire. Until then, keep nurturing the music, and have a great week!