When I first started working on my album, having a songbook in place for my songs was a goal I wanted to achieve. And a year later, after I released the album, it happened. There was a songbook in place for my fans to enjoy!
I think the one challenge I had when it came time to writing my songbook was waiting a year after I had recorded my album! When I started playing my music into the software, there were some subtle differences here and there on how I played it a year prior when it was recorded. So, when it came time for me to edit it, I listened to the recorded version to make sure everything was matching up. It was a lot of fun putting this together, and I hope it will be just as fun for both pianists and piano students alike to play it.
Below is a review that pianist and teacher Kathy Parsons from MainlyPiano.com did on my songbook.
“Out of the Blue is the companion songbook to Cory Lavine’s 2015 solo piano debut by the same name. All nine songs from the recording are included, transcribed by the composer himself. The book is spiral-bound and has full-color covers, front and back. The music is printed on a medium-weight paper stock that will stand up to many years of use and will still enable easy page turns. Most of these pieces are relatively easy and have a light, optimistic mood. Pianists at an intermediate/ upper-intermediate playing level should have little trouble learning this music. There are very few chords, so the notes are within the reach of an average-size hand. I did the proof-reading of the scores, making every effort to match the sheet music to the recordings as closely as possible. Expression and dynamics are clearly marked, including metronome settings and pedaling suggestions. The notation is roomy, clear, and easy-to-read. The book also includes a couple of photos of Cory, his bio, and the story behind the music. This is a really nice book, and I can easily recommend it to piano teachers for use with their students as well as piano enthusiasts looking for new music for themselves. The songs, the keys they are in, and the number of pages are listed below. The book is available as a printed book or an ebook, and the songs are also downloadable individually at corylavine.com. Recommended!”
-
Riding the Wind – Key of Bb (2 flats) – 7 pages
-
Give Thanks – Key of C (0 sharps or flats) – 6 pages
-
Andante – Key of C – 5 pages
-
Child’s Wish – Key of Bb – 5 pages
-
Out of the Blue – Key of C – 8 pages
-
Fly Away – Key of G (1 sharp) – 7 pages
-
New Day – Key of C – 4 pages
-
Little Dance – Key of Bb – 5 pages
-
Reminiscing – Key of Ab (4 flats) – 5 pages