Jennifer Eklund of PianoPronto.com has kindly offered to sponsor a giveaway for us today! Let me tell you a little bit about Jennifer’s work.
Jennifer is a piano teacher and self-publishing composer with a huge output of materials for piano students. She publishes her own piano method called Piano Pronto as well as a variety of supplemental books/sheet music. Jennifer sells both print copies and digital copies (for immediate download) of her materials.
The Piano Pronto website conveniently offers full audio previews and ample sheet music previews of all the products in the shop. Jennifer stated that it is her desire to recreate the experience of being in a brick and mortar sheet music store when visiting and shopping at PianoPronto.com!
One of the most unique things about the Piano Pronto website is that the shop offers an ‘unlimited reproductions’ licensing option. This option allows teachers to pay a one-time flat-fee for a digital copy of the sheet music and are then permitted to make copies of portions or the entire book for use within their studios — for life. This latitude allows teachers to not only build their digital library, but also allows teachers to easily (and legally) customize the lesson experience for each and every student by only using what they need, when they need it.
Jennifer’s philosophy is that students should be exposed to a variety of styles of music early in their study. This shows in her output: she composes in a variety of musical styles. Jennifer uses arrangements of familiar traditional folk tunes, arrangements of great classical works, and original classical selections. You will also find music that sounds pop-influenced, jazzy, or bluesy. She strives to compose music that sounds great and is motivating for students to learn.
For the giveaway, Jennifer has offered for one lucky winner to review either either Volume 1 or Volume 2 of her Christmas Classics books. Each volume contains an assortment of Christmas piano solos written in a New Age lyrical style, intended for early-intermediate to intermediate level pianists.
To enter, please leave a comment below by Sunday, November 24 at midnight EST about the Christmas music activities occurring within your studio this year. Are you planning a recital? Which Christmas songs/carols are the most demanded among your students? I’d love to hear from you!
The winner will be randomly chosen and announced the day after the deadline. If the giveaway winner is in the U.S., they will receive a print copy of the book in the mail; if the winner is outside the U.S., they will receive a digital e-book version.
After you leave a comment below for the giveaway, be sure to visit PianoPronto.com by clicking here!
The books are interesting and I love to get a copy of them.
We will have our 2nd annual “Caroling with Carol” for our group lesson. I was surprised last year how many students did not know what Christmas Caroling was. And, how often do you get to go Caroling with a real live Carol? I am also having a Family Christmas Sing-a-Long instead of a recital this year. My piano students will be learning how to accompany and my voice students will learn skills in directing. I’m looking forward to seeing if this works.
Unfortunately no Christmas concert this year 🙁 but I am just at the beginning of compiling Christmas carols for my piano students this year ready to begin in December! I would love to review one/both of these books as I’m sure my students would like something new to play this year!!!!
We’re having our first annual Christmas recital on December 8th. 🙂 I’m using many of Jennifer’s pieces for the repertoire.
We are having a Christmas recital. New music is always welcome!
I am doing a winter recital in December. All of my students but one are from Christian or nonreligious homes; the one is Hindu. She is performing Sleigh Ride but requested no religious Christmas music, but out of respect to her and her family I call it a winter recital. And by far, the most popular song among my more advanced students, is “Linus and Lucy.” Somebody plays it every year. Among the less advanced students the favorites are “Jingle Bell Rock” and “Rudolph.”
Love your ideas, Joy, love your thoughts. You are so very ingenious and creative.
We are performing our Christmas music at a retirement home this year. I’ve told my students that I will also perform one or two pieces, so I’m busy practicing already! So far I have had great luck with the pieces I’ve purchased from Jennifer, and I would love to have another book from her. I’ve had a few students ask for Carol of the Bells this year, and I’m excited to have some more advanced students to play it well. (Jennifer’s duet arrangement for one of them!)
I’d love to win a copy of these! The typical old arrangements of holiday tunes can get so boring after a while. I write my own arrangements for my students and it’s great to see other new materials emerging. We’re having our annual “Sounds of the Season” Winter Concert on Dec. 8th at the Kurtz Center for the Performing Arts, which will be the nicest hall my students have played at so far. We’re all very excited and ready to go!!
We’ll be having holiday group classes where each student will perform one or more pieces for their fellow students. I have plenty of games and activities lined up to fill out the rest of the session, thanks to the many ideas and resources I find on pages like this! Thank you!
My students and I are working towards a ‘3 chords’ Christmas; playing as many carols as we can by ear, harmonising them with chords 1, V7 and 1V… It is surprising how many of them we can play just using these three primary chords! Happy carolling everyone! 🙂
We had a Halloween recital so we’re not having a formal Christmas recital. I’ve been wanting to go play at a rest home or retirement community with as many of my students as wants to participate, though I still need to schedule that! We’ve started Christmas songs for most of the kids and I just bought her level 1 Christmas book yesterday on unlimited reproductions. =) I’d love to add this to my collection.
As always thanks for your blog and introducing great resources. We’re planning an early Christmas performance, Thanksgiving weekend as part of Calvert Hospice fundraiser, Festival of Trees. Great way to have kids perform and give back for a good cause all in one.
Love Ms. Eklund’s arrangements, and could definitely use them in my studio!
I love Jennifer’s collections!!!
We are having a Christmas recital for my studio this year. I haven’t held one for the past 2 years … did some other Christmas activities instead. It seemed that my students didn’t prepare any of their Christmas music to a polished level. So I’m back to holding a recital.
Jennifer’s music is wonderful! I would love to have her whole collection.
We are doing a fall recital…tomorrow! For Christmas we will do a ‘Merry Christmas’ video that we’ll post on our YouTube channel and share in our Facebook page for everyone to enjoy and share with their own friends and family…everyone will do one Christmas song, including me (I might do several). The all time favorite among my students is Jingle Bells! Hope I win…I have Volume 2 (just got it) and I’d LOVE to have Volume 1! I’m working on several pieces. To play for offertories at church this season 🙂
Being a new teacher (although an old pianist) I’m always on the lookout for exciting, challenging and affordable materials for my diverse student group! I’m very excited to check out Piano Pronto! It sounds perfect for us!!
My studio will celebrate with a holiday concert at a local assisted living home for seniors. As I given some concerts there, I’m familiar with the staff, and the piano.
As a matter of fact, a former student of mine works there. I’d love to include some of Jennifer’s new age, bluesy arrangements. I’d like to have some already polished rep, along with holiday music.
I would love to look at one of these books. We are having a small Christmas concert this year and some offertories played in some local churches.
I would love to review your books! Some of my students are asked to play in church for the processional or offertory, and your music style is perfect. I especially like that you include some medleys.
We are currently preparing for a Christmas program that we are going to put on for a local “care center”. Should be fun and the students are all excited to participate
My students and I will be traveling to a local nursing home to play Christmas music, sing carols with the residents, hand out Christmas cards, and then come back to my place for some holiday treats! 🙂
We have a STUDENTS ONLY Christmas party, no parents, no adult students, and we draw names from a hat to play, then we hold a cookie exchange at the end. Super fun!
I own the Volume 1 of Jennifer’s Christmas Classics and it is some of the most beautiful Christmas music I’ve ever heard! Gorgeous arrangements and surprising chords. Beautiful and accessible. A joy to play, really!
Thanks for entering me.
Our Christmas recital is December 14th. One of my families (7 children) will not be available in person as they will be traveling to Canada for Christmas, but we are recording them on video to show at the recital, so they will not be left out completely. I would love to have this music to share with that family.
I would love to win this! My Christmas recital is in 3 weeks. I LOVE Christmas music so each child gets to play two pieces. The all time favorites are: O Holy Night, Silent Night, Jingle Bells, and Here Comes Santa Clause. 🙂
Jennifer Eklund is one talented composer and arranger!! She has a heart that loves music and people. She arranges pieces for people so fast! Waiting to get her books is just as exciting as waiting for Christmas!!
My piano and flute students’ holiday recital is on Dec. 15. We will play on a brand new Steinway concert grand in a piano store! This will be my first recital outside of my home. I hope that everyone enjoys the chance to hear all 20 musicians perform instead of just 10 or so when I’ve split the group and held recitals at home.
Some of the most requested Christmas songs among the pianists are Silent Night, Jingle Bells, Carol of the Bells, Jingle Bell Rock, and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town. I love Jennifer’s compositions and arrangements and would love to win one of her Christmas books!
I don’t do a Christmas recital, but we will be playing lots of Christmas tunes. Jingle Bells is the most-often requested, hands down.
I accidentally replied to another comment instead of leaving a separate comment, so I will add this one. The most requested by my students is Jingle Bells and Up on the Housetop (beginners).
My students love to learn Christmas songs. I offer them choices each week from a variety of sacred, classical and “fun” Christmas songs. I think Jingle Bells is their favourite.
Oh, it would be so exciting to win!!! Having new arrangements of holiday music is always welcome!
Students in my studio are preparing Christmas pieces to perform at the Festival of Trees. This is an event that raises money for Primary Childrens’ Hospital. The students love giving this service. The parents and family also love supporting the students and the event. We are also making and donating items to be sold. Last year, we made 305 “Snowman Candy Bars”. We were so thrilled that they sold out of them quickly. Working together and serving together has bonded our relationships in the studio.
A lot of my students want to play Christmas music every year. I love Jennifer’s arrangements, and I’d love to get a copy of this!
I already have studio licences for Jennifer’s Beginner & Late Beginner collections. I just distributed them this past week, so I’ll be happy to see how they did.
Last year we held a big Christmas recital on Nov. 25 (one parent mis-read & thought it was actually on Christmas Day!). I don’t have a venue for this year (we’ve left that church after being members for 15 years), so this year will be low-key 🙁
I have switched a few students to Piano Pronto and they just love it because it’s songs they know. They have really been progressing quickly!
This year I am putting together a more formal Christmas recital. Not only are my piano students being featured but also my children’s choir and my string ensemble. We are going to tell the story of Christmas through our songs.
Always love trying out new Christmas music!
I am doing a group lesson where we will be working on playing duets.
Our recital is Dec. 9, and my students are playing a variety of songs – classical, ragtime, and of course, a few Christmas songs. One boy is even playing the theme song from his favorite video game! I have found that when students really like the song they’re learning, they practice it more – if they don’t like it, they won’t learn it!
I love the idea of the unlimited reproductions licensing option! My students look forward to picking a Christmas song or two each year.
My studio has been enjoying several of Jennifer’s arrangements. I would love the opportunity to win her Christmas book. December 19th is our Christmas Open House. The students are stepping it up trying to get ready.
We are having our annual Christmas and Holiday Ensemble Piano Recital. We will have many duets and even a few trios.
Thank you both for all the wonderful resources, encouragement and support. It truly is a blessing.
I’m hoping to pull off a recital first week in December since my dr said I need to have my tonsils out! Yuck. I’m having to cancel the majority of lessons in December just to heal. So it changes what I can do Christmas-wise with my students. Hope to squeeze in some this month. Would love to do more Christmas duets though.
We are having our Christmas Recital the middle of December. We are going to a senior center, and my students will perform their pieces while the residents eat lunch. Most students will play a solo piece and a duet. I love new arrangements of Christmas songs, and Jennifer’s books would be great!
I’ve been a Jennifer Eklund follower since ever and I know how practical and useful for the teaching task are their arrengements, and I would like to be a winner of this give away. I teach kids and the most loved pieces are: carol of the bells, Joy to the world and Silent night.
We are having a recital, music games and an afternoon tea. Such a lovely time to catch up and congratulate the hard work and commitment that the students and their families have given all year.
It’s delightful to discover new and innovative pieces and arrangements to keep students interested and fresh.
Please enter me! I LOVE Jennifer’s arrangements and compositions.
I’m planning my first ever Christmas recital on Dec 14th… so excited! Most requested – Jingle Bells (of course) and Carol of the Bells 🙂
I think my students would really enjoy Jennifer’s Christmas music!
My students (and their parents) LOVE Christmas music, so we do a lot with it:
We have an annual Christmas recital at a nursing home, have a Christmas music sightreading challenge, and do a Christmas carol composing/arranging project: each student either composing an original variation on a Christmas tune like “Jingle Bells” or playing from Christmas carol lead sheets using different accompaniment patterns. It slows our progress through the lesson books a bit , but the students progress in other ways and really improve some important skills because they are super-motivated.
Excited to hear about Jennifer Eklund’s arrangement of Christmas songs!
My students are working on having a Fall Recital, which is one day away!! We can’t wait for this opportunities. I will have fifteen of my twenty students performing a range of music, from Bach to Gershwin…to even Taylor Swift! I teach voice, flute and piano and love the variety that brings as well to each recital! Starting next week my students will begin their CHRISTMAS music!!! They always look forward to this time of year and I try to give them opportunity to play at a church function, nursing home or coffee house during this season as well! Playing music they know is important for their confidence as well and they are always performing their songs during the Holiday months for all of their relatives!!
We will be ding our annual Christmas casual again this year. Lots of goodies, large round tables to sit at, and of course the students randomly playing Christmas music of their choice as everyone enjoys the goodies at their tables. Gifts for the students too! We always hear many versions of jingle bells and silent night, but with so many students, there is quite a variety if music!
Would love to win this because I love Jennifer’s arrangements!
We have a Christmas Recital Party for students only, and have refreshments too!
Our studio is holding a Christmas Recital at the Convention Centre
In my studio this Christmas, we are playing a lot of new age pieces. I have been introduced to some new age composers through Facebook and have ordered several books of this style of music to try. Especially my teenage students love the sometimes mysterious sounding, new age, chord progressions in Jennifer Eklund’s New Age Piano Solos book as well as her Christmas books. I am, also, eager to accompany my student’s Christmas pieces with broken chords on the my celtic harp. They just love to play duets and the parents love to hear their small children play with the teacher for an offertory in church. We will play at a nursing home and also, at a museum. Such fun!!
Beautiful arrangements ! love to get a copy. thanks
As I am beginning my studio this year and deciding on what Christmas music to use, these books will make great additions.
We won’t be doing a formal recital this year, but the students will perform for each other at the monthly group lesson. They are busy practicing their various solos, but will also to learn to harmonize some carols with I, IV and V with lead sheets. Jennifer’s books have been a hit with my students for the familiar songs. They are also a great introduction/transition to learning harmonization and improvisation. I would love to have her Christmas books!
We will have a formal Winter Recital in December. My students love Silent Night and Jingle Bells. I would love to have one of her Christmas books to add to my collection. Thanks!
My students love traditional Christmas songs! The studio where I teach is doing a showcase event on Sunday, December 8. New songs are fantastic and I look forward to learning more about Piano Pronto!
My students and I are working on learning as many Christmas pieces as possible to record for our annual Christmas CD project. Students will learn to use GarageBand software (with lots of assistance) to record their pieces and design covers and inserts for their CDs. We will unveil their new CDs at our Christmas Party/Group Lesson. We are also trying something new this year—-playing Christmas piano ensembles!
I love Jennifer’s music & would love to win this!
This year we are dividing our recital into 3 mini recitals at the 3 local nursing home/ care centers. Students can perform at one or more of the recitals. They will be short and sweet!
Carol of the Bells is always requested and Silent night is another favorite.
I am thrilled about your website, Joy. Your resources are wonderful.
I am a pianist and accompanist with only a few students. I have played in church many years and accompanied children’s choirs. This year it is my turn to lead the children’s choir rather than sit behind the piano. This has been quite a challenge especially our new Christmas program. I have already been able to utilize your helpful resources for the choir students as music theory is essential for any instrument, even the voice. Thank you!
I have also taken the opportunity to listen to Jennifer’s Christmas arrangements & think they are beautiful and know at least one student that would absolutely love to learn them. My students have no program this year, but love to learn new holiday music, as do I. I love the Vol. 2 arrangement of “Angels We Have Heard on High”!
I would love to receive one of these new books. I don’t do a Christmas recital, but I was surprised how many of my non Christian students requested Silent Night. They are all excited about playing Christmas music!
We will be playing at a local nursing home.
I started taking lessons with my 7 year old and we will play together at his Christmas recital party. 🙂
We started learning Christmas songs two weeks ago. I have been assigning instead of letting student request, therefore try to assign different one to every student. I also play duet with a few of my student. Jennifer’s Carol of the Bells is one of them.
Our recital is the week after Thanksgiving and most of my kids are pretty excited about it. Finding music that both challenges them just enough yet is something they want to learn was difficult for a few students this year, but others are absorbing the music like sponges and have learned several carols.
I checked out the website and would love to have a copy. The music looks very enjoyable to play.
Ooooo…..new Christmas music…..oooooo…..(I’m like a kid at Christmas!!!!). My studio isn’t doing a Christmas recital this year. We are actually beginning Christmas music this week though. I can’t wait! Just one piece to get started with this week. Many of my students request/enjoy “Carol of the Bells” each year. Thanks for the blog candy….so sweet of you!
We are having a recital December 7. Most of the Christmas music will not be ready to perform, although the more advanced students will play Christmas duets. For everyone else, we will start choosing Christmas music next week. My students really enjoy Ms. Ecklund’s pop music arrangements, and I’m sure they would enjoy her Christmas collections.
I encourage home holiday music sharing – no holiday recital! There’s enough to do already. An all time favorite (intermediate) is Robert Vandall’s Carol of the Bells for piano 4 hands. A big and impressive sound.
I am a piano teacher and accompanist and am excited to hear about this new music! Would love to learn more about it! Am always looking for music to keep my students interested and motivated. They love Jingle Bells and Carols of the Bells. Thanks for entering me!
I have Christmas recitals scheduled for December 14. Most students play pretty typical Christmas Carols, so I’m always looking for pieces to add variety to the recital. One of my students this year requested to play “Believe” from the Polar Express movie which I thought was a very creative Christmas song choice, it’s also a beautiful piece! We have one week of lessons after the recital and I love to use this as a fun Christmas lesson week. We do Christmas worksheets (a lot from Susan Paradis) and sightread through easier Christmas duets, it’s one of my favorite weeks of the year for lessons!
I’m always on the lookout for new Christmas music. Jingle Bells is in HIGH demand among all of my elementary students, but my older students are on the opposite extreme and want to play something VERY unique (I have a few playing arrangements of foreign Christmas carols). I teach through the local community music school and the school has four Christmas recitals that 75% of my students are playing in. I also have my own private Christmas performance class for my studio.
I am not doing a Christmas recital, but my students love playing Susan Paradis’ Christmas music just for fun. 🙂
I will be having a Christmas themed group lesson the beginning of December with theory and ear training games and a performance by each student.
I will have a Christmas recital with about 1/3 of the students playing some version of “Carol of the Bells”. It’s the one they want the most! Our group lesson in December will be theory games with a Christmas twist.
For Christmas, I am giving each of my students a Christmas book to take home and play through during the Christmas season. They will return them after Christmas and thus I will be able to use the books again next year.
My students are playing Christmas carols at a local homeless shelter this Christmas. Carol of the Bells is the most requested in my studio.
My students are busy practicing and preparing for a special week in the studio. The week before Christmas we they get to invite friends and family to their lesson time. We play games, eat food and listen to the students perform their Christmas music. It’s my favorite recital of the year!
Our Christmas recital this year will be many of my students’ first recital, as many of them just started lessons this year. We are collaborating with another studio to create a wonderful, relaxing evening for the students and their families to come and enjoy beautiful Christmas music. Carol of the Bells, Jingle Bells…actually pretty much any holiday song with the word “bells” in the title have been our most requested!!
I will be performing my own Christmas Recital (not a teacher) using Jennifer Eklund’s Volume 2 Christmas Classics, New Age Piano Solos, for my family this year. Just love all of Jennifer’s music! Her writing and arranging style has vastly increased my ability to play piano since I’ve been out of the piano loop for 30 years! Reading Jennifer’s music has been the BEST way for me to learn and grow in playing the piano again! Thank you Jennifer!
I just moved this summer, so I’m starting my piano studio from the beginning again. I have seven students…which results in a shorter recital. My plan is to have each of my students play two pieces, one of which they will research and present a history behind the Christmas carol. Hoping to find a way to include the entire family in the project so everyone gets to participate in some way. It will be less formal that a typical recital setting, but I’m really excited about it!
I love Christmas music and it is always fun to see and hear new arrangements of favorite holiday tunes.
We r planning to have our recital at the local mall this year. It’s sponsored by our local music association. Year after year, students always ask for carol of the bells 🙂 Ty Joy n Jennifer !
Jennifer is such a talented musician. She has a big future ahead of her.
Hello! We are hosting a special family night gathering with a focus on the Nutcracker. I am planning rhythm activities, movement, and a music appreciation lesson about Tchaikovsky as well as the Suite. We will have time for a craft which reinforces the different dances and is an ornament which they may keep and hang on their tree as a keepsake and teaching reminder. Who knows, I may get motivated to bake sugar cookies in shapes depicting the ballet! My overall goal is community within our studio, an overview and developed interest in this piece, and through the various musical experiences– a lasting recognition of at least a few of the dances.
Sounds like a lovely event, Peggy! What a great idea!!