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Last week on the podcast, you heard me half-jokingly bemoan the disappointing lack of snowfall we’ve had in recent years.

Well, note to self, be careful what you wish for, because just a few days later, Chicago was hit with a snowstorm big enough to set a new record for the snowiest single November Day in the city’s recorded history.

Mother Nature was definitely tuned in to last week’s episode. So, with the landscape freshly covered, it feels fitting to stay within the season and explore music that helps us lean into winter rather than brace against it.

And today’s collection does exactly that, a set of well-crafted teaching pieces called Winter Dreams, written by German composer and pedagogue Hans Günter Heumann. You may not know his name, but you may have encountered his work.

In addition to his own compositions, Heumann has produced hundreds of educational arrangements, many of which are staples across Europe, and are used in North America as well.

His compositional hallmark is clear, age and level appropriate writing, rooted in traditional harmony and a lyrical spirit.

We’ll dive into four selections from Winter Dreams, each one perfect for students in the late elementary to early intermediate range. Bundle up and get ready for some musical snow day magic. Coming up next on the Piano Pedagogy Playlist.

I was really hoping for one ski-themed piece among the 20 compositions in this book, but I’ll have to settle for the next best thing. We’re starting today with a piece called Snowboarding.

It’s a crisp, energetic study where articulation is the name of the game.

The piece requires precise observance of the rests, and I think it would be a great opportunity to talk with students about how the ending of notes contributes just as much to the rhythm as the starting of notes.

The right hand gets a really good workout, and it wraps up with a swooping two-octave descending scale. Ending not with a dramatic crash, but with what feels like a gentle plop into a snowdrift. Here’s Snowboarding from Winter Dreams.

Our next piece moves from the athletic to the reflective. It’s called Miracles Just Happen. Its optimistic mood reminds us to look for and appreciate the everyday wonders that are all around us, even in turbulent times.

Something about this time of year, I think, makes us more attuned to those little flashes of gratitude. And the writing here supports that message. Uncomplicated, sincere, and quietly uplifting.

This is Miracles Just Happen. Now, what do you think a piece called The Igloo might sound like? Well, the composer could choose to focus on the external environment in which igloos are typically found.

Frigid, windy, dark, desolate. Here though, it seems like the focus is on the internal. What’s inside them?

This gentle waltz feels like stepping into a warm, sheltered space after being out in the blowing cold. That moment when your cheeks start to thaw out and you feel cozy and safe. The Igloo by Hans Günter Heumann.

We’ll finish today with the title piece from the collection, Winter Dreams. And honestly, there are no surprises here. The piece is called Winter Dreams, and that’s what it sounds like.

It has a calm floating quality, like watching snow fall from indoors. It’s also a bit on the longer side, but there’s plenty of repeated material, so even younger students can have the satisfaction of playing something that feels more substantial.

If you also were part of that big winter storm like we were here, you can just look out your window. Otherwise, I invite you to pull up a picture of a peaceful snowy landscape and enjoy Winter Dreams.

Today, we explored the collection Winter Dreams by Hans Günter Heumann, a collection of 20 evocative pieces, each one to three pages long, and all rooted firmly in the European Romantic tradition.

Heumann isn’t breaking any new compositional ground here, but that’s actually part of the appeal. These are simply written, lovely to listen to, and pedagogically aware pieces that shine in the winter months.

The four that you heard today are available for digital purchase individually, but if you enjoy this style, the full book is also an excellent value.

You’ll find links to everything in the episode description or on my website, pianopedagogyplaylist.com. And just like that, we’ve reached the final flurry on today’s episode of the Piano Pedagogy Playlist.

Here’s wishing you a week where your studio feels like a refuge of warmth, light, and welcome surprises.

I’ll look forward to seeing you next Monday, when I share some more of my current favorites from the contemporary piano teaching repertoire, all written by living composers. Until then, keep nurturing the music, and have a wonderful week.