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Songbook Review: Heart Piano
James Michael Stevens
Cover image of the songbook Heart Piano by James Michael Stevens
Heart Piano
James Michael Stevens
2020 / James M Stevens
53 pages / 17 songs
Review by Kathy Parsons
The Heart Piano songbook by James Michael Stevens is the companion sheet music collection to Stevens’ 2020 solo piano album by the same name. All seventeen pieces from the album are included and the sheet music is available from SheetMusicPlus.com as either a complete PDF download or as individual pieces. All of the music in the book is on the slow, peaceful side and often has a romantic theme. Most of the pieces are easy enough for pianists at an intermediate and upper-intermediate level to master, but the expressiveness of the music makes it a pleasure for more advanced pianists to play, too.

Dr. Stevens is the chairman of the Music Department at Welch College near Nashville, TN, and his notation of his music is clear and precise making it an excellent choice for piano teachers to share with their students - especially teenagers and adult students. All but one of the pieces is only three pages (the other one is four), so they are ideal for teaching and well as recreational playing. Dr. Stevens composes most of his music with the idea of creating beautiful music for others to play rather than for his own performances, so the emotional content is the focus rather than showmanship. It’s a beautiful and gently uplifting collection of piano solos to relax with and I can recommend it to pianists and students of any age group.

The titles of the pieces, the keys they are in, and the number of pages are:

Once in Every Lifetime- Key of A minor (0 sharps or flats)/A (3 sharps) - 4 pages
Sail My Heart Away - Key of Eb (3 flats) - 3 pages
Let Love Dwell In Your Heart - Key of F (1 flat) - 3 pages
Elegy by a Quiet Stream - Key of E minor (1 sharp) - 3 pages
Freedom’s Journey - Key of A minor (0 sharps or flats) - 3 pages
Deep In Your Heart - Key of C minor (3 flats) - 3 pages
Lose Yourself In A Dream - Key of D minor (1 flat) - 3 pages
Lay Your Burdens Before The Lord - Key of D (2 sharps) - 3 pages
Romance - Key of C (0 sharps or flats) - 3 pages
Quiet Winter Dreams - Key of E minor (1 sharp) - 3 pages
Let Your Heart Find Peace - Key of C (0 sharps or flats) - 3 pages
Romantic Serenade - Key of F (1 flat) - 3 pages
Theme Maestoso - Key of G (1 sharp) - 3 pages
Our Hearts Will Always Be As One - Key of Bb (2 flats) - 3 pages
Gentle Sunset - Key of F (1 flat) - 3 pages
Last Breath of Sunset - Key of D minor (1 flat) - 3 pages
Follow Your Dreams in the Night - Key of G (1 sharp) - 3 pages
December 24, 2020
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